Rental properties in Carmarthenshire are less affordable amid the ongoing housing crisis, new figures show.

A housing and homelessness charity said Wales is in the middle of a "housing emergency", and urged the Government to address soaring rent prices.

Office for National Statistics figures show private renting households across the country spent a larger proportion of their gross income on rent in 2022-23 than in any year since 2018-19.

The figures show the average private renting household in Carmarthenshire spent 22.6% of their gross income on rent in 2022-23 – up slightly from 21.6% in 2021-22.

Nationally, the proportion of gross income private-renting households spent on rent rose from 26.1% to 27.2%.

This is because private rents have risen significantly since 2015 and rent increases have outstripped wages.

The median is used to exclude extreme values which could skew the average, and an area is deemed "affordable" when households spend 30% or less of their income on rent.

It means private rental properties nationwide are deemed affordable at current rates, including in Carmarthenshire.

Robin White, head of campaigns of Shelter Cymru, said Wales is "in the midst of a housing emergency".

"High housing costs are one of the factors driving this emergency, with rising rents and the wider cost-of-living crisis putting huge pressure on people, and especially those on below average incomes," he added.

"We urgently need all levels of Government to work together to turn the tide and ensure everyone in Wales has access to a safe, secure, suitable and affordable home.

"This means continuing to increase investment in providing social homes, improving security and affordability in the private rented sector, and reforming our welfare system to ensure it can properly support people and prevent homelessness."

Ella Nuttall, senior policy and research officer at youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, said rent arrears and high housing costs are "a key driver of homelessness" and warned the soaring cost-of-living means income growth does not make housing affordable.

"Building genuinely affordable housing, including a great deal more social homes, along with reforming the rental sector will be key to ending the housing crisis – and so far, the Government has made the right noises," she added.

ONS figures show the median private rent in Carmarthenshire has remained "affordable" since records began in 2014-15.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "We are in the worst housing crisis in living memory, with rent levels unaffordable for far too many tenants.

"Our Renters’ Rights Bill will fundamentally reform the private rented sector to address this, empowering tenants to tackle unreasonable rent hikes and banning unfair bidding wars.

"This Government will also build 1.5 million homes to help us turn the tide, while our mandatory housing targets will ensure that more homes are delivered in the least affordable areas."