Wellbeing of Wales 2024

These slides summarise some key messages on Wales’ progress towards its 7 well-being goals from the Well-being of Wales report for 2024.

1. Wellbeing of Wales 2024
#WellbeingOfWales
Measuring progress towards
the national well-being goals

2. These slides summarise some key messages on Wales’
progress towards its 7 well-being goals from the
Well-being of Wales report for 2024.
•For many indicators we would expect change to take
a number of years to be seen.
•Additionally, not all indicators are updated annually.
Some messages will be unchanged from the
previous year.
#WellbeingOfWales

3. Over the last year, changes in the Welsh labour market have reflected
the recovery from effects of the pandemic. Looking over the medium
term, the performance of the labour market in Wales has improved
relative to the UK in comparison to the position prior to devolution.
Employment rate for people aged 16 to 64, year ending March 1999 to 2024
Note: Chart axis does not start at zero
National
milestone
Source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics #WellbeingOfWales

4. The recycling rate (i.e. the percentage of local authority municipal waste
that was reused, recycled or composted) has increased considerably
during the last two decades – from around 5% in the late 1990s to nearly
two-thirds (65.7%) in 2022-23.
Percentage of waste reused/recycled/composted, 2012-13 to 2022-23
Source: Local Authority Municipal Waste #WellbeingOfWales

5. Air quality has improved greatly since the 1970s but remains a risk to
human health. Average concentrations to which people are exposed of NO
2
and particulate matter (PM
10 and PM
2.5) have increased slightly since 2020,
though remained below pre-pandemic levels.
Air quality indicators, 2007 to 2022
Source: Air Quality Emissions Indicators #WellbeingOfWales

6. The capacity of renewable energy projects in Wales (electricity and heat) has
increased considerably over the last decade, though progress has slowed in
recent years.
Renewable energy generation capacity (MW), 2012 to 2022
Source: Energy Generation in Wales report #WellbeingOfWales

7. Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy fell in the most recent
period available, which includes the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Life expectancy at birth was 81.8 years for females and 77.9 years for
males for 2020-22. Healthy life expectancy was 61.1 years for males and
60.3 years for females.
Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at birth, by sex, 2001-03 to 2020-22
National
milestone
Source: Life expectancy and Health state life expectancies, Office for National Statistics #WellbeingOfWales

8. The percentage of young people aged 11 to 16 with two or more healthy
behaviours has improved between 2017/18 and 2021/22.
Percentage of young people aged 11 to 16 with two or more healthy
behaviours, 2017/18 (academic year) to 2021/22
National
milestone
Source: School Health Research Network Student Health and Wellbeing Survey
#WellbeingOfWales

9. The average mental wellbeing score for adults did not show significant
change between 2016-17 and 2019-20 or since 2020-21. The gap in the
average score for those from the most and least deprived areas appears
to have widened since 2020-21. However understanding long term
trends is not possible due to changes in the data collection.
Average Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale score for adults, 2016-
17 to 2022-23
National
milestone
Source: National Survey for Wales, Welsh Government #WellbeingOfWales

10. For the year ending 31 March 2024 the employment rate among
disabled people aged 16-64 in Wales was 51.0% whilst the rate for
people who are not disabled was 81.9%. The employment gap for
disabled people in 2024 was 30.9 percentage points.
Employment rate (percentage of population aged 16-64) of disabled and non-
disabled people in Wales by year, 2013 to 2024 (rates for year ending March)
National
milestone
Source: Welsh Government analysis of the Annual Population Survey, Office for
National Statistics
#WellbeingOfWales

11. Material deprivation among adults remains higher for younger age
groups. In 2022-23 people aged 25-44 were most likely to live in material
deprivation (23%) with those aged 75 and over being least likely (4%).
Material Deprivation in Wales by age group and year, 2016-17 to 2022-23
(year ending March)
Note: The year 2020-21 has no data.
Source: National Survey for Wales, Welsh Government
#WellbeingOfWales

12. In 2021-22, 64% of people agreed with all three statements about their
local area that make up the national indicator, while 95% agreed with at
least one statement. These figures have been broadly stable since they
were first collected in 2012 until the sizeable increase in 2020-21.
Percentage of people agreeing with statements about local area, 2012-13 to 2021-22
Note: The years 2015-16, 2017-18 and 2019-20 have no data associated with them.
Source: National Survey for Wales #WellbeingOfWales

13. In 2021-22, 30% of people felt that they could influence decisions
affecting their local area compared with 26% in 2020-21 and 19% in
2018-19. This is a marked increase since before 2020 and may reflect
real change as a direct result of the pandemic, but it requires monitoring
in future survey years.
Percentage of people who feel they can influence decisions affecting local area
Note: The years 2015-16, 2017-18 and 2019-20 have no data associated with them.
Source: National Survey for Wales #WellbeingOfWales

14. The latest results from the National Survey for Wales show that 39% of adults
took part in sport three or more times a week in 2022-23, the highest rate
recorded by the survey. In contrast, fewer children are taking part in regular
sport outside of school.
Percentage participating in sports 3 or more times a week
Adults Children
Source 1: National Survey for Wales
Source 2: School Sports Survey
#WellbeingOfWales

15. The decrease in both the number and percentage of people
aged three years or older able to speak Welsh was mainly
driven by a fall among children and young people who were
reported as being able to speak Welsh.
People aged three years and older able to speak Welsh, 1911 to 2021
Note: There was no census in 1941.
Source: Census of Population #WellbeingOfWales

16. There has been a fall of 36% since the base year (1990). The
largest source of estimated emissions comes from the
industry sector, which produces 29% of all greenhouse gas
emissions in Wales. This sector is dominated by fuel
combustion in the iron and steel production process.
Emissions of greenhouse gases, 1990 - 2022
National
milestone
Source: National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory #WellbeingOfWales

17. Wales’s global footprint has generally decreased from around
17.0 million global hectares (gha) in 2004 to 12.3 million gha
in 2018. The global footprint per person has reduced by
nearly a third over this time period, and stood at 3.9 gha per
person in 2018.
Global footprint (gha) per person, 2004 to 2018
National
milestone
Source: Understanding the Global Environmental Footprint and Impacts of
Welsh Consumption, JNCC
#WellbeingOfWales

18. The Well-being of Wales
report includes…
Reports on our national
progress towards each of
the well-being goals
Data for the 50
national indicators
#WellbeingOfWales

19. Where can you find the Well-being of
Wales report?
Well-being of Wales report:
https://gov.wales/wellbeing-wales
National indicators:
https://gov.wales/wellbeing-wales-national-indicators
#WellbeingOfWales

20. Contact us
@StatisticsWales
[email protected]
#WellbeingOfWales