DENBIGHSHIRE’S wage bill has increased by £32.7m in the last five years, with pension contributions also increasing by over £5m in the same period.
A freedom of information request has revealed that whilst council staff numbers have remained largely unchanged, Denbighshire’s staff costs have increased significantly.
In 2020 the council’s gross wage bill was £104,254,249.17, but this has now increased to £137,030,496.40 in 2024.
Similarly, pension payments have increased from £11,008,743.22 a year to £16,065,869.70 in 2024.
The figures also show that in 2020 the authority employed 4,780 staff compared to 4,645 in 2024, or 3,665.65 compared to 3,683.12 respectively, in terms of full time equivalent workers.
Whilst council tax increased this year by 6%, staff wages are set externally by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services.
According to Denbighshire’s financial reports, the authority received £215.222m in 2025/26 from the Welsh Government, an increase of £9.4m or 4.6% from the previous year.
Gross Pay
2020 104,254,249.17
2021 109,162,236.14
2022 119,620,958.66
2023 132,504,078.36
2024 137,030,496.40
Pensions
2020 11,008,743.22
2021 11,408,569.19
2022 12,839,579.86
2023 15,476,929.85
2024 16,065,869.70
Headcount and FTE
2020/2021 4780 3665.65
2021/2022 4620 3584.37
2022/2023 4805 3772.18
2023/2024 4825 3793.42
2024/2025 4645 3683.12
Denbighshire County Council was contacted for a comment.
