Pupils in maintained schools aged 5-15 eligible for free school meals by local authority and year
Contents
Standard shorthand is used in this table: [t] = total.
| Data values | Data description | Year | Local Authority | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,879 | Number of pupils | 2014/15 | Newport | Eligible for free school meals |
| 19,052 | Number of pupils | 2014/15 | Newport | All pupils |
| 9,055 | Number of pupils | 2014/15 | Cardiff | Eligible for free school meals |
| 40,736 | Number of pupils | 2014/15 | Cardiff | All pupils |
| 68,388 [t] | Number of pupils | 2014/15 | Wales | Eligible for free school meals |
| 363,000 [t] | Number of pupils | 2014/15 | Wales | All pupils |
| 1,287 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Isle of Anglesey | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,566 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Isle of Anglesey | All pupils |
| 1,779 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Gwynedd | Eligible for free school meals |
| 13,705 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Gwynedd | All pupils |
| 1,998 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Conwy | Eligible for free school meals |
| 12,347 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Conwy | All pupils |
| 2,360 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Denbighshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 12,347 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Denbighshire | All pupils |
| 2,792 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Flintshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 18,631 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Flintshire | All pupils |
| 2,587 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Wrexham | Eligible for free school meals |
| 15,801 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Wrexham | All pupils |
| 1,540 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Powys | Eligible for free school meals |
| 14,374 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Powys | All pupils |
| 834 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Ceredigion | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,373 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Ceredigion | All pupils |
| 2,215 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Pembrokeshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 13,728 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Pembrokeshire | All pupils |
| 3,720 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Carmarthenshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 21,552 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Carmarthenshire | All pupils |
| 5,376 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Swansea | Eligible for free school meals |
| 27,877 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Swansea | All pupils |
| 3,934 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Neath Port Talbot | Eligible for free school meals |
| 16,793 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Neath Port Talbot | All pupils |
| 3,251 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Bridgend | Eligible for free school meals |
| 17,370 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Bridgend | All pupils |
| 2,222 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Vale of Glamorgan | Eligible for free school meals |
| 16,849 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Vale of Glamorgan | All pupils |
| 6,383 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Eligible for free school meals |
| 29,511 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | All pupils |
| 1,558 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Merthyr Tydfil | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,088 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Merthyr Tydfil | All pupils |
| 5,126 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Caerphilly | Eligible for free school meals |
| 22,522 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Caerphilly | All pupils |
| 2,095 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Blaenau Gwent | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,551 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Blaenau Gwent | All pupils |
| 2,158 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Torfaen | Eligible for free school meals |
| 11,845 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Torfaen | All pupils |
| 1,068 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Monmouthshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 9,330 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Monmouthshire | All pupils |
| 3,750 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Newport | Eligible for free school meals |
| 19,394 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Newport | All pupils |
| 9,007 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Cardiff | Eligible for free school meals |
| 41,409 | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Cardiff | All pupils |
| 67,040 [t] | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Wales | Eligible for free school meals |
| 364,963 [t] | Number of pupils | 2015/16 | Wales | All pupils |
| 1,218 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Isle of Anglesey | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,661 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Isle of Anglesey | All pupils |
| 1,708 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Gwynedd | Eligible for free school meals |
| 13,747 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Gwynedd | All pupils |
| 2,075 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Conwy | Eligible for free school meals |
| 12,346 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Conwy | All pupils |
| 2,256 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Denbighshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 12,489 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Denbighshire | All pupils |
| 2,589 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Flintshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 18,748 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Flintshire | All pupils |
| 2,688 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Wrexham | Eligible for free school meals |
| 15,919 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Wrexham | All pupils |
| 1,594 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Powys | Eligible for free school meals |
| 14,378 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Powys | All pupils |
| 818 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Ceredigion | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,402 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Ceredigion | All pupils |
| 2,357 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Pembrokeshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 13,709 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Pembrokeshire | All pupils |
| 3,546 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Carmarthenshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 21,719 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Carmarthenshire | All pupils |
| 5,482 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Swansea | Eligible for free school meals |
| 28,243 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Swansea | All pupils |
| 3,835 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Neath Port Talbot | Eligible for free school meals |
| 16,943 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Neath Port Talbot | All pupils |
| 3,128 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Bridgend | Eligible for free school meals |
| 17,671 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Bridgend | All pupils |
| 2,197 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Vale of Glamorgan | Eligible for free school meals |
| 17,148 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Vale of Glamorgan | All pupils |
| 6,398 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Eligible for free school meals |
| 30,042 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | All pupils |
| 1,489 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Merthyr Tydfil | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,132 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Merthyr Tydfil | All pupils |
| 4,764 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Caerphilly | Eligible for free school meals |
| 22,719 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Caerphilly | All pupils |
| 1,702 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Blaenau Gwent | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,477 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Blaenau Gwent | All pupils |
| 2,093 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Torfaen | Eligible for free school meals |
| 11,959 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Torfaen | All pupils |
| 979 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Monmouthshire | Eligible for free school meals |
| 9,358 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Monmouthshire | All pupils |
| 3,668 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Newport | Eligible for free school meals |
| 19,721 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Newport | All pupils |
| 9,105 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Cardiff | Eligible for free school meals |
| 42,118 | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Cardiff | All pupils |
| 65,689 [t] | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Wales | Eligible for free school meals |
| 368,649 [t] | Number of pupils | 2016/17 | Wales | All pupils |
| 1,188 | Number of pupils | 2017/18 | Isle of Anglesey | Eligible for free school meals |
| 7,738 | Number of pupils | 2017/18 | Isle of Anglesey | All pupils |
Main information
- Most recent update
- 24 September 2025
- Next update expected
- July 2026
- Designation
- Official statistics
- Data provider
- Welsh Government
- Data source
- Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC)
- Time period covered
- September 2003 to August 2025
Data notes
Overview
- Summary of dataset and variables
Data from the annual School Census which collects information on schools, pupils, classes, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, additional learning needs and special educational needs.
- Data collection or calculation
The data in this report is collected by the Welsh Government from local authority maintained schools in a return called the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC). PLASC is an electronic collection of pupil and school level data. Schools record data on pupils and the school throughout the year in their Management Information System (MIS) software. This data is collated into an electronic PLASC return and submitted to the Welsh Government through DEWI, a secure online data transfer system developed by the Welsh Government. Various stages of automated validation and sense-checking are built into the process to ensure a high quality of data to inform policy making and funding.
- Statistical quality
The returns are authorised by headteachers and validated by local authorities.
The school census date is usually in January. Due to the level of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in January 2022, the 2022 census date was delayed to 15 February 2022. School closures between December 2020 and March 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic meant that the 2021 census date was delayed to 20 April 2021.
Pupils are eligible for free school meals if their parents or guardians are in receipt of certain means-tested benefits or support payments. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may have impacted on the quality of this data and may have resulted in over recording of this data in 2020 to 2022. These figures do not include pupils who only receive free schools meal due to the universal primary free school meal policy.
- Related reports
Published by
- Organisation
- Welsh Government
- Contact email
- school.stats@gov.wales