Swansea's 2026 population is now estimated at 322,374. In 1950, the population of Swansea was 279,831. Swansea has grown by 2,138 in the last year, which represents a 0.67% annual change. These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Swansea, which typically includes Swansea's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.
Swansea is a city located in Wales, United Kingdom. The official name for the city is the City and County of Swansea. The population in 2011 was 244,500, making Swansea the second largest city in Wales. The metropolitan area has a population of 462,000 based on data from 2011. The city is known as Copperopolis because of its role in the copper industry. Swansea achieved city status in 1969.
The majority of the population residing in Swansea are White. There are slightly more males than females per estimates taken mid-2016, with the counts estimated to be 122,300 male and 122,200 female. According to data from 2010, almost one-quarter of Swansea’s residents fell into the 30 to 49 year demographic, though surprisingly the number of people in this demographic was lower when compared to annual estimates dating back to 2005. The biggest change came in the 25 to 29 demographic, with an increase of 24.5% in the five-year period from 2005 to 2010.
The history of Swansea dates back thousands of years, with human remains found in the area that dated all the way back to 22,000 BC. Swansea was well-known during the Industrial Revolution because of its role in the tinplate industry. Approximately 90% of the world’s copper was smelted in this city, leading to the nickname Copperopolis. Because of its role in industrialization, Swansea experienced a period of urban growth and transportation systems were introduced. In fact, Swansea was home to The Mumbles Railway, a railway that was put into use in 1807 and was the first to have passengers. The city’s location along the river also made Swansea a major port of great significance throughout the United Kingdom.
Between estimates taken in 2015 and 2016, the population of Swansea grew almost 1%, a higher increase than annual growth each year from 2011 through 2015. About 2,200 people migrated to Swansea between 2015 and 2016, while there were slightly more deaths than births during the same period. The primary reason for growth was international migration, while some growth was observed from migrants of Wales. Though growth has been slow, it is expected to remain steady in the area in future years. The city’s population growth has exceeded the growth observed in Wales, but falls below the national average in the United Kingdom.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| London | 9,927,020 | 0.88% |
| Manchester | 2,853,370 | 0.73% |
| Birmingham | 2,724,410 | 0.73% |
| Glasgow | 1,730,280 | 0.66% |
| Southampton | 974,131 | 0.76% |
| Liverpool | 935,328 | 0.68% |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 839,947 | 0.68% |
| Nottingham | 825,506 | 0.75% |
| Sheffield | 762,277 | 0.73% |
| Bristol | 725,939 | 0.82% |
| Belfast | 656,593 | 0.71% |
| Brighton | 637,322 | 0.77% |
| Leicester | 579,755 | 0.77% |
| Edinburgh | 568,163 | 0.82% |
| Bournemouth | 530,872 | 0.76% |
| Leeds | 516,298 | 1.01% |
| Cardiff | 498,999 | 0.73% |
| Coventry | 458,904 | 0.95% |
| Middlesbrough | 400,118 | 0.65% |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 399,450 | 0.66% |
| Bradford | 368,485 | 1.01% |
| Reading | 358,252 | 0.75% |
| Sunderland | 351,353 | 0.63% |
| Preston | 340,779 | 0.69% |
| Birkenhead | 338,036 | 0.61% |
| Kingston upon Hull | 330,607 | 0.64% |
| Newport | 326,945 | 0.66% |
| Derby | 264,430 | 1% |
| Portsmouth | 248,748 | 1% |
| Plymouth | 240,297 | 1% |
| Wolverhampton | 221,754 | 1.01% |
| Aberdeen | 212,300 | 1% |
| York | 210,620 | 1.01% |
| Norwich | 199,245 | 1.01% |
| Peterborough | 179,349 | 1.01% |
| Gloucester | 163,212 | 1.01% |
| Oxford | 161,662 | 1% |
| Cambridge | 149,155 | 1% |
| Blackpool | 145,007 | 1% |
| Exeter | 127,709 | 1.01% |
| Chelmsford | 119,468 | 1.01% |
| Lincoln | 107,434 | 1.01% |
| Bath | 106,009 | 1.01% |
| St Albans | 88,448 | 1.01% |
| Chester | 87,881 | 1% |
| Paisley | 77,250 | 1% |
| Carlisle | 74,536 | 1% |
| Canterbury | 64,495 | 1.02% |
| Scarborough | 61,866 | 1% |
| Dunfermline | 54,640 | 1.01% |
| Torquay | 51,320 | 1% |
| Winchester | 48,818 | 1.01% |
| Inverness | 47,060 | 1% |
| Salisbury | 46,332 | 1% |
| Stirling | 37,670 | 1% |
| Dumfries | 33,290 | 1% |
| Chichester | 31,881 | 1.01% |
| Elgin | 24,080 | 0.99% |
| Sudbury | 23,835 | 1.01% |