Cardiff: population and statistics
Cardiff has a population of 381,516 (2025) across 142.3 km², or 2,681 people per km². It ranks 25 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +8.5% between 2015 and 2025.
- 381,516 residents
- 142.3 km²
- 2,681 people/km²
Cardiff in numbers
Population of Cardiff over time
Cardiff had 351,600 residents in 2015 and 381,516 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 360,287 |
| 2021 | 359,824 |
| 2022 | 369,640 |
| 2023 | 379,539 |
| 2024 | 382,028 |
| 2025 | 381,516 |
All indicators for Cardiff
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Cardiff | Wales | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 15.0% | 22.2% | 20.4% | ranked 313 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 17.0% | 16.8% | 17.4% | ranked 209 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Cardiff | Wales | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 168,180 dwellings | 1,492,630 | 27,429,300 | ranked 20 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 36.2% | 39.4% | 31.6% | ranked 112 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 20.7% | 15.3% | 18.1% | ranked 106 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 147,333 households | 75,148 | 61,440 | ranked 25 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 73.4% | 87.0% | 84.7% | ranked 261 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 26.5% | 12.7% | 14.8% | ranked 56 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 58.3% | 66.3% | 67.3% | ranked 256 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 24.3% | 17.1% | 17.6% | ranked 57 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 17.2% | 16.5% | 14.3% | ranked 97 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £272,252 | £218,855 | £272,474 | ranked 181 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | ranked 153 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Cardiff | Wales | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.2% | ranked 117 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 78.4% | 71.8% | 76.7% | ranked 125 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 10.4% | 5.3% | 7.8% | ranked 71 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.1% | 7.7% | 0.9% | ranked 246 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Cardiff | Wales | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 15,460 sites | 128,250 | 3,232,440 | ranked 47 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 40.5 per 1,000 | 40.4 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 227 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 12,120 businesses | 106,170 | 2,786,975 | ranked 56 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £36,946 | £36,288 | £38,490 | ranked 228 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Cardiff | Wales | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 73.7% | 72.2% | 76.3% | ranked 233 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 3.9% | 3.4% | 3.2% | ranked 98 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Cardiff | Wales | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 26.0% | 19.5% | 18.5% | ranked 70 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 22 local authorities in Wales, Cardiff ranks 1 by population.
Households heated by oil only: 0.1% in Cardiff, compared with an average of 7.7% in Wales and 3.4% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 16.5% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Wales for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Wales for “Population density”.
- “Households heated by oil only”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: higher than in 94% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 19,930 football pitches.
- 9.4 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Newport, 15.3 km away.
Business sectors: Cardiff
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade16.5% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical14.2% ×1.0
- Construction9.6% ×0.8
- Accommodation and food services8.7% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services8.6% ×1.1
- Health and social work8.0% ×1.4
- Information and communication7.1% ×1.1
- Real estate5.4% ×1.2
Where is Cardiff?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Cardiff?
Cardiff has 381,516 residents (2025), ranking 25 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Cardiff?
Cardiff covers 142.3 km², with a density of 2,681 people per km².
Is the population of Cardiff growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Cardiff went from 351,600 to 381,516, a change of +8.5%.
Where is Cardiff?
Cardiff is in Wales (region). Latitude 51.500, longitude −3.167.
Households heated by oil only: what is the figure for Cardiff?
In Cardiff, “Households heated by oil only” stands at 0.1% (2021), ranking 246 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 0.9%.
Dwellings (Council Tax stock): what is the figure for Cardiff?
In Cardiff, “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)” stands at 168,180 dwellings (2026), ranking 20 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 67,955 dwellings.
Which local authorities border Cardiff?
The nearest to Cardiff are Newport (15 km), Caerphilly (17 km), Vale of Glamorgan (20 km), Torfaen (23 km), Rhondda Cynon Taf (25 km).