Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) 2025 rural urban classification deprivation profiles

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Next update expected:This dataset is not expected to be updated or replaced in the future

Updates

11th March 2026
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Accredited official statistics
Data provider 1
Natural Resources Wales
Data source 1
No specific source from data provider
Data provider 2
Care Inspectorate Wales
Data source 2
No specific source from data provider
Data provider 3
Ministry of Justice
Data source 3
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Data provider 4
Higher Education Statistics Agency
Data source 4
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Data provider 5
Ordnance Survey
Data source 5
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Data provider 6
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Data source 6
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Data provider 7
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
Data source 7
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Data provider 8
Welsh Government
Data source 8
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Data provider 9
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Data source 9
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Data provider 10
Department for Education
Data source 10
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Data provider 11
Home Office
Data source 11
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Data provider 12
Public Health Wales
Data source 12
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Data provider 13
Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Data source 13
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Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
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Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)
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NHS England
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Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government
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Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) is the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas in Wales, ranking all 1,917 Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) from most (rank 1) to least (rank 1,917) deprived. It combines 54 indicators grouped under 8 domains which have the following weights in the overall index: Income (22%), Employment (20%), Health (15%), Education (14%), Access to Services (10%), Housing (9%), Community Safety (5%), and Physical Environment (5%).

WIMD produces domain ranks and an overall index to identify areas with the highest concentrations of multiple types of deprivation. Most of the indicator values, some sub-indicator values and some sub-domain ranks are also published on StatsWales. Please see the WIMD guidance report and technical report for more information.

This table contains the number and percentage of LSOAs in each deprivation group, in each rural urban classification.

The 2021 Rural Urban Classification (RUC) is a statistical classification which provides a consistent and standardised method for categorising geographies as either rural or urban. The classification used to produce these estimates is an adjusted version of the RUC based on:

  • address density
  • whether the area is within an amalgamated built-up area (ABUA)
  • population size
  • Relative access to major towns and cities (usual resident population threshold 25,000)

The RUC used to produce these estimates defines relative access as follows:

  • Nearer to a major town or city: can reach a built-up area with 25,000 usual residents or more within 30 minutes travel by road
  • Further from a major town or city: cannot reach a built-up area with 25,000 usual residents or more within 30 minutes travel by road.

More information can be found in the Rural-Urban Classification User Guide on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) open geography portal.

After consulting with stakeholders, we have produced the estimates in this dataset using a custom classification replacing the 75,000 official usual resident threshold with 25,000 usual residents. This was done to reflect the importance of smaller settlements in acting as service hubs, as Wales contains only three built-up areas with 75,000 usual residents or more (Cardiff, Newport and Swansea).

We are working with ONS to make the LSOA to RUC (25,000 threshold) lookups available in the future.

Data collection or calculation

There are three main components of the 2025 index:

  • the 54 underlying indicator datasets
  • ranks for the 8 separate domains (or types) of deprivation, created by combining relevant indicators within each domain
  • overall WIMD ranks, created by combining the domain ranks

All these components are calculated for each of the small areas (Lower layer Super Output Areas or LSOAs) in Wales and published.

The way the indicators and domains are combined is designed to reliably distinguish between areas at the most deprived end of the distribution, but not at the least deprived end. This means that differences between the least deprived areas in Wales are less well defined than differences between the more deprived areas. To compare larger geographies, you can consider the proportion of small areas in a larger geography which are in the most deprived (say) 10% of areas in Wales. For example, if an area has more than 10% of its small areas in the most deprived 10% in Wales it can be considered relatively deprived. If it has fewer than 10%, then it can be considered relatively less deprived.

We publish WIMD 2025 deprivation profiles for selected larger geographies, which provide numbers and percentages of LSOAs within a larger geography which are in these categories of deprivation:

  • 10% most deprived
  • 20% most deprived
  • 30% most deprived
  • 50% most deprived

This is available for the overall WIMD 2025 index and each of the 8 domains.

Statistical quality

The WIMD 2025 data have been produced by professional statisticians using the latest data, rigorous analytical methods, and independent validation at every stage. WIMD 2025 builds on previous versions to ensure accuracy and reliability, combining 54 indicators from diverse sources (some but not all are based on official statistics sources) to minimize bias and strengthen robustness. Quality assurance included multiple checks, replication of results, and expert review with domain specialists and local authorities.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
statsinclusion@gov.wales