The waiting list dropped by 23,400 from October to November, the largest monthly reduction on record. It is also the sixth consecutive month the waiting list has been cut.
People waiting over two years fell to just under 6,900 - down more than 90% from the peak. Provisional December data suggest further reductions in the overall waiting list, with two-year waits dropping to around 5,300.
The number of people waiting over a year for their first outpatient appointment is at its lowest since October 2020.
Those waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment is the lowest figure since April 2021.
Meanwhile, November saw just over 136,600 pathways closed, the second highest figure on record.
All health boards except Betsi Cadwaladr have either no pathways waiting longer than two years or less than 1%. Powys currently has less than 1% of pathways waiting longer than one year while Swansea Bay and Powys have no one-year waits for a first outpatient appointment.
The Welsh Government announced £120m investment in June 2025 to help people be seen more quickly; this has already provided 127,000 additional appointments. It also aimed for an extra 20,000 cataract operations to be delivered by March 2026, this goal is on track to be reached.
December saw the total time it takes for ambulance crews to transfer patients to emergency departments nearly halved compared to the previous year, and hour‑plus delays dropped by 43% for the same period.
Health secretary, Jeremy Miles, said: ‘Provisional data for December indicate further significant cuts in the waiting list and longest waits and it's important we continue to see improvements over the coming months.'
He added: 'I want to thank NHS staff for all they continue to do to ensure people are seen as quickly as possible and receive the best possible care.'
People across Wales can now see where they are on NHS waiting lists using the NHS Wales App. To date, more than 80,000 waiting list referrals and more than 197,000 hospital appointment notifications have been added to the app.
