Rent in Monmouthshire rose 6% over the past year, new figures show.

Pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade said millions of young people will be paying "ever-rising" rents and "locked out" of buying homes until enough new houses are delivered.

Provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average private rent in Monmouthshire reached £974 per month in the year to September – up 6% from £922 a year prior.

It was also up 47% from an estimated £662 per month five years ago.

Rent Officers Wales, which is part of the Housing and Regeneration Division of the Government, collects prices from landlords and letting agents, with the aim to collect data for approximately 15% of the market.

Across Wales, the average rent was £815 – rising 7% from the year before.

Cardiff had the highest rental cost in the country at £1,143 per month, while the lowest was in Powys at £574.

Sam Richards, chief executive of Britain Remade, said: "It is increasingly looking like the Government will miss its target to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament.

"Until we build the homes we need, millions of young people will be locked out of home ownership and stuck paying ever-rising rents."

Nathan Emerson, chief executive of Propertymark, said: "We are about to witness some of the biggest evolutions in over thirty years within the rental sector, with the Renters' Rights Bill across England and the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

"Both will make fundamental changes to how landlords operate and are aimed at strengthening consumer rights concerning standards.

"Across the forthcoming decade, it is essential that all eyes are turned to encouraging long-term investment in the rental sector to keep up with increased demand and population growth."

In September, the average private rent in Great Britain was £1,366 per month. This was £71, or 5%, higher than 12 months ago.

Including estimates for Northern Ireland, ONS head of housing market indices Aimee North said: "UK annual private rents inflation has eased for the ninth consecutive month, and annual growth has slowed for all countries across the UK."

The figures also show the different costs for various homes in Monmouthshire, from £715 for a one-bed property to £1,483 for a home with four or more bedrooms in September.

Among the property types in the area: