There are huge differences in GCSE results across WalesPupils collect their GCSE results at Ysgol Y Strade LlanelliPupils collect their GCSE results at Ysgol Y Strade Llanelli August 2025(Image: John Myers / WalesOnline)

GCSE data has shown how every area of Wales ranks in terms of their results, with the statistics showing the local authorities performing best. The data shows which areas get the best results for A*-A, A*-C and overall pass rates A*-G.

The latest GCSE results for Wales last week recorded a slight rise in top grades. The most recent Welsh Government figures comparing areas are for the 2023-2024 academic year.

They rank the Vale of Glamorgan as the best local education authority in Wales for GCSE grades last year.

Confirmed data for each council area for last week’s 2025 GCSE results is yet to be published but Cardiff and Swansea both published their figures showing the two cities beat the national results for 2025 last week. Here’s how Cardiff schools performed. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here

The 2024 rankings are for the first year exams returned to “normal” pre-pandemic conditions without teacher assessed grades or extra support for “lost learning”. Comparisons are tricky because of that and the most useful comparable year is 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.

Figures show the councils with the highest percentages of A*-As may not have he highest percentages of A*-C or overall pass rates A*-G. This may be an indication of a focus for top results rather than overall grades A* to G. The gold standard are A* to C grades.

Local authorities have differing demographics and it is significant that the areas with the highest percentages of top grades, the Vale of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, are also among the wealthier areas of Wales.

GCSE 2025 celebrations at Prestatyn HighGCSE 2025 celebrations at Prestatyn High(Image: Prestatyn High)The top 10 areas of Wales for A*-A GCSE grades 2023-24

  • Vale of Glamorgan 29.1%
  • Monmouthshire 29%
  • Cardiff 27.5%
  • Swansea 24.4% (joint fourth)
  • Ceredigion 24.4% (joint fouth)
  • Bridgend 20.5%
  • Carmarthenshire 20.3%
  • Newport 19.9%
  • Powys 19.1%
  • Gwynedd 18.7%

The top 10 council areas in Wales for GCSEs A*-C 2023-23

  • Vale of Glamorgan 73.3%
  • Monmouthshire 72.2%
  • Ceredigion 71.4%
  • Cardiff 68.6%
  • Powys 67.7%
  • Carmarthenshire 67.5%
  • Bridgend 67%
  • Swansea 66.2%
  • Flintshire 64.5%
  • Newport 64.5%

10 councils with highest overall GCSE pass rate A*-G 2023-24

Flintshire 96.4%

Pembrokeshire 96.2%

Swansea 96.5%

Vale of Glamogan 96.7%

Monmouthshire 96.7%

Blaenau Gwent 96.1%

Neath Port Talbot 96%

GCSE Results in full by council area 2023-25

Entries 5,980

A*-A 16.2%

A*-C 57.2%

A*-G 95.3 %

Entries 12,206

A*-A 18.7%

A*-C 62.9%

A*-G 97.4%

Entries 9,448

A*-A 15.9%

A*-C 59.1%

A*-G 95.9%

Entries 11,094

A*-A 15.3%

A*-C 58.5%

A*-G 94.8%

Entries 15,178

A*-A 16.9%

A*-C 64.5%

A*-G 96.4%

Entries 12,126

A*-A 15.1%

A*-C 59%

A*-G 95.8%

Entries 12,130

A*-A 19.1%

A*-C 67.7%

A*-G 97.2%

Entries 6,469

A*-A 24.4%

A*-C 71.4%

A*-G 97.3%

Entries 10,973

A*-A 16.3%

A*-C 59.8%

A*-G 96.2%

Entries 18,762

A*-A 20.3%

A*-C 67.5%

A*-G 97%

Entries 23,623

A*A 24.4%

A*-C 66.2%

A*-G 96.5%

Entries 13,872

A*-A 16.9%

A*-C 62.4%

A*-G 96%

Entries 14,441

A*-A 20.5%

A*-C 67%

A*-G 97%

Entries 16,587

A*-A 29.1%

A*-C 73.3%

A*-G 96.7%

Entries 24,766

A*-A 15.3%

A*-C 60.2%

A*-G 95.9%

Entries 5,811

A*-A 12.2%

A*-C 51.6%

A*-G 93.9%

Entries 17,675

A*-A 15.3%

A*-C 56.6%

A*-G 94.9%

Entries 5,635

A*-A 11.5%

A*-C 56.6%

A*-G 96.1%

Entries 9,651

A*-A 13.3%

A*-C 57.1%

A*-G 95.3%

Entries 7,314

A*-A 29%

A*-C 72.2%

A*-G 96.7%

Entries 17,341

A*-A 19.9%

A*-C 64.4%

A*-G 95.6%

Entries 37,342

A*-A 27.5%

A*-C 68.6%

A*-G 95.5%

Overall GCSE results by council 2019

Isle of Anglesey

Entries 5,607

A*-A 15.1%

A*-C 63.1%

A*-G 97.6%

Gwynedd

Entries 11,177

A*-A 18.0%

A*-C 65.6%

A*-G 98.3%

Conwy

Entries 9,309

A*-A 20%

A*C 64.7%

A*-G 97.3%

Denbighshire

Entries 9,782

A*-A 17.5%

A*-C 64.7%

A*-G 97.1 %

Flintshire

Entries 13,687

A*-A 18.3%

A*-C 64.1%

A*-G 97.3%

Wrexham

Entries

10,135

A*-A 15%

A*-C 60.4%

A*-G 96.6

Powys

Entries 11,513

A*-A 18.6%

A*-C 67.7%

A*-G 98.0%

Ceredigion

Entries 6,640

A*-A 25%

A*-C 73.3%

A*-G 98.7%

Pembrokeshire

Entries 10,294

A*-A 18.1%

A*-C 61.6%

A*-G 96.2%

Carmarthenshire

Entries 17,150

A*-A 21.9%

A*-C 71.7%

A*-G 98.3%

Swansea

Entries 21,906

A*-A 22.2%

A*-C 68%

A8-G 97.5%

Neath Port Talbot

Entries 13,214

A*-A 15.9%

A*-C 63.1%

A*-G 96.3%

Bridgend

Entries 13,856

A*-A 20.5%

A*-C 64.3%

A*-G 96.4%

Vale of Glamorgan

Entries 14,506

A*-A 28.4

A*-C 74%

A*-G 97.9%

Rhondda Cynon Taf

Entries 24,616

A*-A 15.6%

A*-C 61.1%

A*-G 96.5%

Merthyr Tydfil

Entries 4,804

A*-A 12.2%

A*-C 53.4%

A*-G 95.6%

Caerphilly

Entries 17,033

A*-A 16.5%

A*-C 61.9%

A*-G 96.6%

Blaenau Gwent

Entries 4,596

A*-A 11%

A*-C 53.5%

A*-G 96.3%

Torfaen

Entries 9,038

A*-A 14.1%

A*-C 60.9%

A*-G 96.5%

Monmouthshire

Entries 7,407

A*-A 24.8%

A*-C 72.2%

A*- G 97.9%

Newport

Entries 13,972

A*-A 19.2%

A*-C 62.1%

A*-G 95.6%

Cardiff

Entries 31,923

A*-A 23.8%

A*-C 66.9%

A*-G 95.9%