People across Wales experiencing “a greater sense of community” according to new survey

People in Wales feel a greater sense of community according to the latest National Survey.

The National Survey is a random sample telephone survey of 12,500 people across Wales.

Interviews were carried out between April 2021 and March 2022 and cover a wide range of topics like public services, health, and environmental issues.

64% of people say that they experience a sense of community within their local area. This is an increase on pre-pandemic survey years (it was 52% in 2018-19).

Experiencing a sense of community means that they agree with three statements: that they feel they belong in the area; that people in the area from different backgrounds get along; and that people in the area treat each other with respect.

Satisfaction with the way Welsh Government is doing its job also saw an increase to 6.4 (out of 10), from 5.4 in 2018-19. UK respondents’ satisfaction with the UK government in a corresponding survey in 2018-19 was 3.8 out of 10.

There was a decrease in the number of people who had visited their GP during the year.

Pre-pandemic, in 2019-20, 76% of people had a GP appointment during the previous 12 months. This fell to 64% of people during 2020-21. It has fallen further to 58% in 2021-22.

This needs to be explored in more detail, but may be partly explained by people now choosing or being directed to see other health professionals rather than their GP.

Other key results include:

• 74% of people say they are satisfied that good services and facilities are available in their local area (up from 69% in 2018-19)
• The proportion of people who had a dental appointment in the last 6 months has increased since Jan-March 2021, from 21% to 32%, but remains lower than the 77% of people pre-pandemic
• 54% of parents with a child at primary school say the child has their own personal computer, laptop, or tablet (up from 45% in 2020-2021)
• 36% of households said they have a dog and 20% have a cat

Welcoming the results, the Minister for Finance and Local Government, Rebecca Evans said: “The National Survey is a valuable resource as it provides an overview of how people in Wales feel about many aspects of their lives.

“This year’s results give us a detailed picture of the views and experiences of people across Wales as the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic were lifted. These insights will inform our decision and policy making, and help us as we work to make Wales a better place to live.”