Household estimates

Household statistics are important for the public sector and other users who need to consider recent trends in housing demand, in order to plan for the future, provide housing and deliver services.

The latest estimates suggest that there were around 105,000 households in Swansea at March 2021, within a total of 1.347 million households in Wales.

Between 2011 and 2021, the estimated number of households in Swansea increased by around 1,500 (+1.4%).  This increase occurred despite a fall in Swansea's estimated total population over those ten years, indicating a small reduction in average household size (from 2.26 in 2011 to 2.22 in 2021).

Local statistics

Small area statistics on the number of households with residents in Electoral Wards and Super Output Areas (SOAs) are available from the 2021 Census.  Summary tables for areas in Swansea are included on this page at a LSOA (PDF) [356KB], MSOA (PDF) [726KB] and Ward (PDF) [339KB] level.  The statistics shown for each area are: total households (with residents); usual residents living in households and communal establishments; average household size.

Lower layer Super Output Area (LSOAs) are statistical reporting units developed by ONS containing between 400 and 1,200 households.  Middle layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) are built from groups of adjacent LSOAs and have between 2,000 and 6,000 households.  Further information about the SOAs in Swansea is available here.  Information about Swansea's wards, which now reflect the 2022 boundary changes in these statistics, is also available here.

Annual household estimates

Mid-year household estimates for local authority areas in Wales are also published by the Welsh Government.  These are produced by applying assumptions about household size, formation and composition to population estimates.

The most recent annual Welsh Government estimates of the total number and composition of households (numbers of adults and children) are for mid-2020.  A  briefing note (PDF) [1015KB] outlines the 2020 estimates for Swansea and recent change, including by household type.  However, these estimates have now been superseded by the 2021 Census results.  It is not yet known when estimates for mid-2021 on this basis will be produced.

Related statistics

• 2021 Census: Further local statistics and analysis on households is being added to our Census pages.
• Household Projections: 2018-based local authority household projections were published by the Welsh Government in August 2020, and cover the 25-year period to 2043.  However, these projections are based on household estimates and trends before the 2021 Census.
• Earlier Census data: Summary statistics from previous Censuses on a range of population and household characteristics are available here.

If you have any enquiries regarding this information, or require further demographic statistics for Swansea, please contact us.