Wales still poorest part of UK

At the start of the century, the plan was to get our poorest communities from 60% of the UK average to 90%, last year it was just over 63% Credit: Office for National Statistics

The latest figures comparing the wealth generated in different parts of the UK show that Wales remains bottom of the league table, behind every other UK nation and every region of England. The so-called Gross Value Added (Income Approach) for last year was published today, with the figure per person in Wales at less than half the level of England's richest region, which was London.

  • London £43,629

  • Wales £18,002

At a more local level, the two poorest parts of the UK were Anglesey and the Gwent Valleys. Even the wealthiest part of Wales -Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan- was below the UK average.

  • UK average £25,351

  • Cardiff & Vale £22,7873

  • Gwent Valleys £13,681

  • Anglesey £13,411

Back in 2000, the then First Minister Rhodri Morgan set a target of getting every part of Wales to at least 90% of the UK average. He was inspired by the European Union's decision to offer billions of pounds in regional aid to West Wales and the Valleys, which was then about to hit a low of 60%.

At the start of the century, the plan was to get our poorest communities from 60% of the UK average to 90%, last year it was just over 63% Credit: Office for National Statistics

The latest figure for West Wales and the Valleys is £16,059 per person or just over 63% of the UK average. It's the only area of north-west Europe -apart from Cornwall- to still be poor enough to qualify for the most generous European funding. The UK Government has promised to keep up the payments after Brexit but only until 2020. What happens after that has not yet been decided.