Districts of Wales
{{Short description|Former second-tier subdivision in Wales}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| map= 300px
| name= Districts (Wales)
| alt_name=
| category= Districts
| territory= Wales
| upper_unit= Counties
| current_number=
| number_date=
| legislation_begin= Local Government Act 1972
| legislation_end= Local Government (Wales) Act 1994
| start_date= 1 April 1974
| end_date= 1 April 1996
| population_range=
| area_range=
| type=
| type1=
| type2=
| type3=
| status= City
| status1= Borough
| status2=
| status3=
}}
The districts of Wales were a form of local government in Wales used between 1974 and 1996. There were thirty-seven districts, and they were the second tier of local government introduced by the Local Government Act 1972, being subdivisions of the eight counties introduced at the same time. This system of two-tier local government was abolished in 1996 and replaced with the current system of unitary principal areas.
Each district was administered by an elected district council. The council was entitled to petition for a charter granting borough status, whereupon the district became a borough and the district council a borough council headed by a mayor. In addition, a district could be granted letters patent granting city status.
For the list of districts before 1974, see List of rural and urban districts in Wales in 1973.
Districts 1974–1996
| class="wikitable sortable"
! width="5" | CodeLocal Government Act 1972 c.70. Schedule 4: Local Government Areas in Wales, Part II: Districts ! width="15" | District ! width="25" | Status ! width="20" | County ! width="20" |Area 1974{{cite book |title=Local government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System |year=1974 |publisher=HMSO |location=London |isbn=0-11-750847-0 |pages=97–109; 243–250}} ! width="20" |Population estimate 1974 ! width="20" |Population estimate 1992OPCS Key Population and statistics 1992 cited in {{cite book |title=Whitaker's Concise Almanack 1995 |year=1994 |publisher=J Whitaker & Sons |location=London |isbn=0-85021-247-2 |page=566}} ! width="20" | Successor UA |
| GD4
|{{convert|149738|acre|km2}} |49,730 |54,100 |
| C4
|District |{{convert|38104|acre|km2}} |68,280 |74,500 |
| GD1
|Borough |{{convert|176638|acre|km2}} |62,020 |69,300 |
| GD3
|Borough |{{convert|101207|acre|km2}} |53,640 |56,100 |
| GT3
|Borough |{{convert|31318|acre|km2}} |84,080 |76,900 |
| P3
|Borough |{{convert|443382|acre|km2}} |37,120 |41,500 |
| SG1
|City |{{convert|29633|acre|km2}} |285,760 |295,600 |
| D4
|District |{{convert|291192|acre|km2}} |49,910 |56,200 |
| D1
|District |{{convert|443182|acre|km2}} |55,430 |67,900 |
| C1
|Borough |{{convert|136566|acre|km2}} |45,990 |56,400 |
| MG3
|Borough |{{convert|44639|acre|km2}} |69,630 |65,600 |
| C3
|Borough |{{convert|6870|acre|km2}} |59,440 |69,700 |
| D6
|Borough |{{convert|239868|acre|km2}} |36,140 |38,700 |
| GD2
|District |{{convert|152753|acre|km2}} |25,870 |27,300 |
| C5
|District |{{convert|238686|acre|km2}} |38,450 |42,000 |
| GT2
|Borough |{{convert|24362|acre|km2}} |66,140 |67,200 |
| D5
|Borough |{{convert|57737|acre|km2}} |76,720 |74,600 |
| WG2
|Borough |{{convert|52818|acre|km2}} |57,460 |64,200 |
| GD5
|District |{{convert|374912|acre|km2}} |30,830 |32,900 |
| MG4
|Borough |{{convert|27584|acre|km2}} |61,490 |60,100 |
| GT5
|District |{{convert|203438|acre|km2}} |66,090 |76,700 |Pontypool{{ref|a|a}} |
| P1
|Montgomery, renamed |District |{{convert|510109|acre|km2}} |43,580 |53,700 |
| WG3
|Borough |{{convert|50971|acre|km2}} |66,150 |66,300 |
| GT1
|Borough |{{convert|49558|acre|km2}} |135,910 |137,200 |
| MG1
|Ogwr |Borough |{{convert|70444|acre|km2}} |126,570 |134,200 |
| WG4
|Afan, renamed |Borough |{{convert|37371|acre|km2}} |58,580 |51,100 |
| D2
|Preseli, renamed |District |{{convert|258075|acre|km2}} |61,700 |71,200 |
| P2
|Radnor, renamed |District |{{convert|301165|acre|km2}} |18,670 |24,000 |
| MG2
|Borough |{{convert|23882|acre|km2}} |87,710 |79,300 |
| C2
|Borough |{{convert|26860|acre|km2}} |49,920 |55,000 |Rhyl |
| MG5
|District |{{convert|43522|acre|km2}} |103,800 |104,000 |
| D3
|District |{{convert|134640|acre|km2}} |37,060 |42,700 |
| WG1
|City |{{convert|60504|acre|km2}} |190,370 |189,400 |
| MG6
|Borough |{{convert|41632|acre|km2}} |86,880 |99,700 |
| GT4
|Borough |{{convert|31258|acre|km2}} |88,870 |91,300 |
| SG2
|Borough |{{convert|73198|acre|km2}} |106,490 |114,800 |
| C6
|Borough |{{convert|90569|acre|km2}} |106,800 |117,200 |
{{note|a|a}} Outside the district.