Wales' most deprived areas named

According to recent reports, a neighborhood in Rhyl, Denbighshire, has been designated as the most impoverished area of Wales for the second time since 2019. The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD), which is released every few years by the Welsh government, is the official measure of relative poverty for neighbourhoods in Wales. It takes into account a variety of aspects, including personal income, housing, and health. Blaenau Gwent was the local authority with the largest number of highly homeless people, according to the study. Monmouthshire was the only council in Wales with no neighbourhoods ranked as poor, with one neighborhood in Chepstow found to be the most deprived in Wales.

In Wales, the 2025 WIMD ranked 1,917 communities, with each having an average population of 1,600 people. It looked at living conditions using eight key metrics, including income, education, health, education supply, housing, community safety, and the physical environment. The findings do not indicate whether an area has gotten better or worse off since the previous year, but rather illustrate how communities have changed relative to each other. There are deprivation areas in Wales, and it is not the case that everyone in a highly impoverished neighborhood will be struggling, nor will those in deprived areas be well off.

How is deprivation measured?

The2025 WIMD ranked nearly 2,000 small towns around Wales and divided them into ten equal groups called deciles, where the first decile was the 191 most impoverished neighborhoods, and so on. To the group of neighbourhoods in the first decile, we're using phrases such as fully homeless and

most deprived. There are deprivation areas in Wales, and not everyone in a neighborhood will suffer depriving equally. For the second time, the area around Rhyl High Street has been rated as the most impoverished area in Wales, but that does not mean nothing has changed since 2019. When they spoke to BBC Wales on Monday, people in Rhyl had contradictory information about how the area was doing before the new data was published.

People are struggling,

Valerie Long, 62, who has lived in the town for four years, said. However, she said she had seen some investment.

There are more things for children, including the new park up the road. It's gone downhill, Jay Street, 26, who has lived in Rhyl all his life, said. Mr Street is still lives with his parents, but he can't afford the homes he sees online. Although he loves being with his parents, he said he could not see a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to buying his own house. Since using the services himself, Mr Street became a volunteer with Brighter Futures, a local charity that provides services aimed at improving people's health and well-being.

Places like this have saved a lot of people, including myself. According to Penny Pearce-Whitby, who runs it,

The charity's community garden is particularly popular.

This is a great spot for people who live in the area and don't have access to green spaces,

she said.

Green spaces are extremely important to people's mental stability and wellbeing.

It's not about the money; it's about encouraging people to get out.

Once some communities in Rhyl were extremely poor, Denbighshire council said they

do not represent Rhylly as a whole. Rhyl has seen substantial public investment over the past decade, including a £100 million flood defence upgrade that had reformed the seafront with a new promenade and a large children's play area, according to a spokesperson. Other constructions were also underway, including the renovation of attractions such as the Rhyl Pavilion Theatre and hundreds of new affordable homes, according to the council. Rhyl's revival is underway, the council said, but this long-term vision takes time.Committed to combating hunger and improving people's lives,the Welsh government said.The challenge of breaking the cycle of poverty is not something we can solve overnight,

a spokesperson said, adding that the government is targeting all

levers available to combat poverty" in 2022 and 2026, which included investing £7 billion to help households and recruiting disadvantaged groups into the workforce. The Blaenau Gwent council has been invited to participate.