- Conwy has experienced the largest estimated real-terms increase in average Band D council tax in Wales since 1996/97, rising by almost 200% after inflation – equivalent to approximately £1,648 a year.
- Monmouthshire recorded the second largest estimated real-terms increase at 187.28%, followed by Blaenau Gwent at 181.55%.
- Carmarthenshire recorded the smallest estimated real-terms percentage increase at 106.67%, while Merthyr Tydfil has the highest current average Band D council tax in Wales at £2,594.
New research has revealed where council tax has risen most across Wales over the past three decades.
Insurance experts Alan Boswell Group analysed official Welsh Government council tax statistics, comparing average Band D council tax across Wales’s 22 local authorities in 1996/97 with 2026/27, before calculating how much the figures have changed after inflation.
The underlying council tax figures come from the Welsh Government’s StatsWales Council tax levels by billing authority and band dataset, which is designated Accredited Official Statistics and is based on Budget Requirement returns from Welsh local authorities and police. The official dataset covers the period from April 1996 to March 2027.
The Welsh Government describes Band D as the measure historically used as the standard for comparing council tax levels between and across local authorities.
The 22 areas in Wales ranked by how much average Band D council tax has risen since 1996, after inflation
| Wales rank | Local authority | Average Band D council tax 1996/97 (£) | Average Band D council tax 2026/27 (£) | Original % increase from 1996/97 to 2026/27 | Original £ increase from 1996/97 to 2026/27 | 1996/97 in est. 2026/27 prices (£) | Est. real-terms % increase from 1996/97 to 2026/27 | Est. real-terms £ increase from 1996/97 to 2026/27 |
| 1 | Conwy | 401 | 2,473 | 516.71% | 2,072 | 825 | 199.80% | 1,648 |
| 2 | Monmouthshire | 409 | 2,417 | 490.95% | 2,008 | 841 | 187.28% | 1,576 |
| 3 | Blaenau Gwent | 437 | 2,531 | 479.18% | 2,094 | 899 | 181.55% | 1,632 |
| 4 | Isle of Anglesey | 417 | 2,261 | 442.21% | 1,844 | 858 | 163.58% | 1,403 |
| 5 | Powys | 434 | 2,352 | 441.94% | 1,918 | 893 | 163.45% | 1,459 |
| 6 | Newport | 391 | 2,088 | 434.02% | 1,697 | 804 | 159.60% | 1,284 |
| 7 | Merthyr Tydfil | 496 | 2,594 | 422.98% | 2,098 | 1,020 | 154.23% | 1,574 |
| 8 | Vale of Glamorgan | 435 | 2,232 | 413.10% | 1,797 | 895 | 149.43% | 1,337 |
| 9 | Gwynedd | 483 | 2,469 | 411.18% | 1,986 | 994 | 148.50% | 1,475 |
| 10 | Denbighshire | 462 | 2,339 | 406.28% | 1,877 | 950 | 146.11% | 1,389 |
| 11 | Pembrokeshire | 436 | 2,166 | 396.79% | 1,730 | 897 | 141.50% | 1,269 |
| 12 | Bridgend | 500 | 2,478 | 395.60% | 1,978 | 1,029 | 140.92% | 1,449 |
| 13 | Swansea | 455 | 2,238 | 391.87% | 1,783 | 936 | 139.11% | 1,302 |
| 14 | Torfaen | 440 | 2,156 | 390.00% | 1,716 | 905 | 138.20% | 1,251 |
| 15 | Ceredigion | 509 | 2,419 | 375.25% | 1,910 | 1,047 | 131.03% | 1,372 |
| 16 | Flintshire | 501 | 2,376 | 374.25% | 1,875 | 1,031 | 130.54% | 1,345 |
| 17 | Wrexham | 489 | 2,309 | 372.19% | 1,820 | 1,006 | 129.54% | 1,303 |
| 18 | Cardiff | 428 | 2,013 | 370.33% | 1,585 | 880 | 128.64% | 1,133 |
| 19 | Neath Port Talbot | 546 | 2,541 | 365.38% | 1,995 | 1,123 | 126.23% | 1,418 |
| 20 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | 500 | 2,289 | 357.80% | 1,789 | 1,029 | 122.55% | 1,260 |
| 21 | Caerphilly | 471 | 2,083 | 342.25% | 1,612 | 969 | 114.99% | 1,114 |
| 22 | Carmarthenshire | 553 | 2,351 | 325.14% | 1,798 | 1,138 | 106.67% | 1,213 |
| Wales average | 462 | 2,283 | 394.16% | 1,821 | 950 | 140.22% | 1,333 |
Council tax figures shown to the nearest pound. Inflation-adjusted figures are estimates calculated by Alan Boswell Group from the published council tax data.
Conwy ranks first in Wales, with average Band D council tax increasing from approximately £401 in 1996/97 to £2,473 in 2026/27.
That represents an original increase of more than fivefold, or 516.71%.
Once inflation is taken into account, £401 in 1996/97 is equivalent to approximately £825 in estimated 2026/27 prices. Conwy’s current figure is therefore around £1,648 higher in real terms, representing an estimated increase of 199.80%.
Monmouthshire ranks second, with average Band D council tax rising from £409 to £2,417. After inflation, this represents an estimated 187.28% increase, equivalent to approximately £1,576 a year.
Blaenau Gwent follows in third place at 181.55% after inflation, with average Band D council tax rising from approximately £437 to £2,531.
The Isle of Anglesey and Powys complete the top five, recording estimated real-terms increases of 163.58% and 163.45% respectively.
At the other end of the ranking, Carmarthenshire recorded the smallest estimated percentage increase, at 106.67% after inflation, followed by Caerphilly at 114.99% and Rhondda Cynon Taf at 122.55%.
However, the area where council tax has risen fastest is not necessarily where households face the highest average charge today.
Merthyr Tydfil has the highest average Band D council tax in Wales in 2026/27, at £2,594, despite ranking seventh for the long-term percentage increase.
At the other end, Cardiff has the lowest at £2,013, creating a gap of approximately £581 a year between the highest and lowest average Band D council tax levels in Wales.
These current extremes are also identified in the Welsh Government’s official 2026/27 statistical release, which puts the Wales-wide average at £2,283 and states that average Band D figures range from £2,013 in Cardiff to £2,594 in Merthyr Tydfil.
Across Wales overall, average Band D council tax has risen from approximately £462 in 1996/97 to £2,283 in 2026/27.
In cash terms, that is an increase of £1,821 before inflation is taken into account. Adjusting the 1996/97 figure into estimated 2026/27 prices gives approximately £950, meaning the Wales-wide increase is an estimated 140.22% in real terms, or around £1,333.
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