National indicators and national milestones for Wales

In Wales we are doing things differently.

We have a law in Wales that helps us all work together to improve our environment, our economy, our society and our culture.

For people, for our planet. For now, and for our future.

This is called the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

There are 7 connected well-being goals for Wales. They are:

• A prosperous Wales
• A resilient Wales
• A healthier Wales
• A more equal Wales
• A Wales of more cohesive communities
• A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language
• A globally responsible Wales.

Under section (10)(1) of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the Welsh Ministers must (a) publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the Well-being goals, and (b) lay a copy of the national indicators before the Senedd.

A national indicator must be expressed as a value or characteristic that can be measured quantitatively or qualitatively against a particular outcome. It may be measured over such period as the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate and may be measurable in relation to Wales or any part of it.

Further detail on the requirements can be found in on our Well-being of Future Generations pages.

The 50 national indicators published and laid before Senedd Cymru on 14 December 2021 are to be read with the national indicators technical information document (Well-being of Wales: national indicator technical descriptions and data links) published by the Welsh Government. This contains supplementary technical information on each indicator including where the data will be sourced from; proposed disaggregation by protected characteristic (as set out in the Equality Act 2010) and area, and contextual data which would support analysis of the indicator over time.

Under section 10(8) of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators, they must as soon as reasonably practicable (a) publish the indicators as revised and (b) lay a copy of them before the Senedd. The indicators laid on 14 December 2021 replace the set laid on 16 March 2016.

The “national indicators” 

1. Percentage of live single births with a birth weight of under 2,500g
2. Healthy life expectancy at birth including the gap between the least and most deprived
3. Percentage of adults with two or more healthy lifestyle behaviours 
4. Levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in the air
5. Percentage of children with two or more healthy lifestyle behaviours
6. Measurement of development of young children
7. Average capped 9 points score of pupils, including the gap between those who are eligible and are not eligible for free school meals
8. Percentage of adults with qualifications at the different levels of the National Qualifications Framework
9. Gross Value Added (GVA) per hour worked (relative to UK average)
10. Gross Disposable Household Income per head
11. Percentage of businesses which are innovation-active
12. Capacity (in MW) of renewable energy equipment installed
13. Concentration of carbon and organic matter in soil
14. The global footprint of Wales
15. Amount of waste generated that is not recycled, per person
16. Percentage of people in employment, who are on permanent contracts (or on temporary contracts, and not seeking permanent employment) and who earn at least the real Living Wage
17. Pay difference for gender, disability and ethnicity
18. Percentage of people living in households in income poverty relative to the UK median: measured for children, working age and those of pension age
19. Percentage of people living in households in material deprivation
20. Proportion of employees whose pay is set by collective bargaining
21. Percentage of people in employment
22. Percentage of people in education, employment or training, measured for different age groups
23. Percentage who feel able to influence decisions affecting their local area
24. Percentage of people satisfied with their ability to get to/ access the facilities and services they need
25. Percentage of people feeling safe at home, walking in the local area, and when travelling
26. Percentage of people satisfied with local area as a place to live
27. Percentage of people agreeing that they belong to the area; that people from different backgrounds get on well together; and that people treat each other with respect
28. Percentage of people who volunteer
29. Mean mental well-being score for people
30. Percentage of people who are lonely
31. Percentage of dwellings which are free from hazards
32. Number of properties (homes and businesses) at medium or high risk of flooding from rivers and the sea
33. Percentage of dwellings with adequate energy performance
34. Number of households successfully prevented from becoming homeless per 10,000 households
35. Percentage of people attending or participating in arts, culture or heritage activities at least three times a year
36. Percentage of people who speak Welsh daily and can speak more than just a few words of Welsh
37. Number of people who can speak Welsh
38. Percentage of people participating in sporting activities three or more times a week
39. Percentage of museums and archives holding archival/heritage collections meeting UK accreditation standards
40. Percentage of designated historic environment assets that are in stable or improved conditions
41. Emissions of greenhouse gases within Wales
42. Emissions of greenhouse gases attributed to the consumption of global goods and services in Wales
43. Areas of healthy ecosystems in Wales
44. Status of biological diversity in Wales
45. Percentage of surface water bodies, and groundwater bodies, achieving good or high overall status
46. Active global citizenship in Wales
47. Percentage of people who have confidence in the justice system
48. Percentage of journeys by walking, cycling or public transport
49. Percentage of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs
50. Status of digital inclusion

Under section (10)(3) of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the Welsh Ministers must set milestones in relation to the national indicators which the Welsh Ministers consider would assist in measuring whether progress is being made towards the achievement of the well-being goals.

In setting a milestone, the Welsh Ministers must specify:

1. the criteria for determining whether the milestone has been achieved (by reference to the value or characteristics by which the indicator is measured), and
2. the time by which the milestone is to be achieved.

Further detail on the requirements can be found in on our Well-being of Future Generations pages.

The national milestones: