Welsh Liberal Democrats accuse the Welsh Government of ‘failing’ rural Wales

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have accused the Welsh Government of failing to take the growing depopulation crisis in west Wales and rural communities seriously.

The statement comes following the publication of new figures from Hywel Dda University Health Board.

The Health Board’s latest projections show that by 2040, the population aged 16–64 across the Hywel Dda area is expected to fall by 15,300, with the steepest decline in Ceredigion, where the working-age population is projected to shrink by 15.1%.

Over the same period, the proportion of residents aged over 65 is expected to rise from 27% to nearly 32%, with Pembrokeshire forecast to reach 34%.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats say these figures highlight a growing demographic imbalance in West Wales, with fewer young people and working-age adults able to live, work and raise families locally.

They warn that this trend threatens the long-term sustainability of public services, local economies, and Welsh-speaking communities, particularly in areas such as Ceredigion and north Pembrokeshire, where the Welsh language remains central to daily life.

The party argues that communities in West and rural Wales are being left behind by a Cardiff-centric approach to public spending by Welsh Labour, with disproportionate investment flowing to the capital and its commuter belt while rural and Welsh-speaking areas struggle to retain young people and working families.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats say this decline is not inevitable and can be reversed through targeted investment in genuinely affordable housing, rural transport, healthcare access and well-paid local jobs.

They say tackling depopulation in rural Wales will be a core priority at the upcoming Senedd elections.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Ceredigion Penfro, Sandra Jarvis, said: “These are deeply sobering figures and they should be a wake-up call for the Welsh Government. Depopulation in West Wales is not a future risk; it is happening now, and it is accelerating.

“Losing working-age people at this scale undermines our local economies, stretches health and social care services, and puts the future of our Welsh-speaking communities at serious risk.

“Young people are being priced out of their own communities, unable to find secure work or affordable homes, and left with little choice but to leave. The Welsh Government talks about protecting rural Wales and the Welsh language, but these figures expose a failure to act where it really matters.

“West Wales needs urgent action on housing, transport, healthcare and well-paid local jobs, not warm words. Without that, our communities will continue to be hollowed out, and the damage will become increasingly difficult to reverse.”

A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “Welsh Labour are investing in younger generations in rural communities by delivering green energy projects, like offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, that bring with them thousands of jobs. Plaid Cymru want to block these projects, and the thousands of skilled jobs they bring.

“The Mid Wales Growth Deal agreed by the Welsh and UK governments, is expected to support up to 1,400 jobs across Mid Wales. Welsh Labour is focused on all parts of our economy, to deliver thousands of good jobs closer to home.”