Wales Language Percentage, What percent of Wales speaks Welsh? Number and percentage of people in Wales who say they can speak Welsh 2001-2023. Percentage of people in Wales who say they can speak Welsh 2025, by age and gender Enrollment numbers in language training Spain 2005/06 to 2023/24 Welsh language speaking ability and use (National Survey for Wales): April 2022 to March 2023 The report looks at people’s Welsh speaking ability and frequency of use between April In England and Wales, 91. The Welsh Language Use Survey is carried out as part of the National Survey for Wales. New data released by the Office for National Statistics shows the Forty-one percent of primary schools in Wales taught an international language as part of the curriculum in 2021/22, up from 39% in 2018/19 and 28% in 2015/16. Its aims are: (i) to assess the The proportion of UK residents who speak English as their main language (or in Wales, English or Welsh as their main language) has fallen slightly from 92. 6 million people had English as a main language in England and Wales, approximately 91. 9% in 2011 Language in England and Wales detailed analysis: 2011 We look at the main language of UK residents, and their ability to speak English if English isn't their main language. The aims of this research Language Trends Wales 2022 was published as the new Curriculum for Wales, with its emphasis on promoting a holistic, multilingual, plurilingual approach to News Latest Wales News Welsh language Are fewer people really speaking Welsh? We look beyond the numbers at the future of the language THE PERCENTAGE of Welsh speakers has fallen to its lowest level in over eight years, with just 27. 8%, The following table ranks Wales's 22 principal areas by the 2021 percentage of residents aged three and over able to speak Welsh, including absolute speaker numbers where reported and percentage point Approximately 26. This has led to less daily Welsh Language Change in the percentage of people aged three years or older able to speak Welsh by LSOA 2011 to 2021 Welsh Language - Census 2011 and Census 2021 A smaller percentage of people of all Welsh speakers also considered themselves to be fluent in Welsh. Census 2021 & Wales: Language What does the 2021 indicate about the present course (and future) of the Welsh language? According to the 2021 census, the percentage of Welsh residents aged three or older in Wales saying they can speak Welsh who consider themselves Welsh speakers stands at 17. As of 2025, there were estimated to be 828,600 people in Wales who could speak Welsh, or approximately 26. Although the purpose of the Welsh Language Use Survey is to understand more about how Welsh Wales is a country blessed with two languages, but how many of us actually speak them both? View the map below showing how Welsh language use has changed by region and age group. Those who reported English (or Welsh in Wales) as their Percentage of people who reported English (English or Welsh in Wales) as a main language in the 2021 census, by local authority: The Welsh language is also taught in schools in Wales; and, even in regions of Wales in which Welsh people predominantly speak English on a daily basis, the Welsh language is spoken at home among The census was carried out on 21 March 2021. This means, however, that statutory Welsh Language Change in the percentage of people aged three years or older able to speak Welsh by LSOA 2011 to 2021 Language Trends Wales is an annual survey of schools and post-16 colleges, designed to gather information about the situation of language teaching and learning. Welsh is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. The statistics were revised on 17 February 2022 following a change in the Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: April 2022 to March 2023 Data on people’s ability in Welsh and how often they speak the language for April 2022 to March 2023. Image: Welsh Government For the year ending 31 March 2025, the Data on people’s ability in Welsh, and how often they speak the language, for April 2023 to March 2024. List of Welsh areas by percentage of Welsh-speakers The list of Welsh areas by percentage of Welsh-speakers ranks the 22 principal areas of Wales according to the proportion of residents aged three Academic year 2024/25 Schools, pupils and their characteristics School and pupil statistics for England including age, gender, free school meals (FSM), ethnicity, English as additional language Numbers – percentages When writing percentages, use the number followed by ‘%’ except at the beginning of a sentence, e. Over centuries, the spoken language has evolved through key milestones, The number of Welsh speakers has fallen in the past decade, with fewer children speaking the language. 4 below combines the four counties, where 40% or more of the population was reported as being able to speak Welsh in Census 2021, and shows the Welsh language Video of a Welsh speaker Welsh (Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] ⓘ or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ]) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. The latest 2. 9 million) aged three and above spoke Welsh or English as their main language. Published on The percentage of people in Wales who speak Welsh has fallen to a record low according to census figures released today. Welcome to our interactive data dashboard where you can gain easy access to the main statistics about Welsh speakers in Wales. The In 2021, 52. This report focuses on how we have implemented our Welsh language standards policy and the work we have done to The Annual Population Survey The APS is an annual UK wide survey, which in Wales includes materially the same census questions on the Welsh language. It uses 2021 Census data, the main authoritative source for the number Estimates of the population who are able to speak Welsh by demography, national identity, economic activity, health, and several other characteristics from Census 2021. Introduction Language Trends Wales is an annual survey of schools and post-16 colleges, designed to gather information about the situation of language teaching and learning. The most recent National Differences in the estimates of Welsh language ability between the census and household surveys such as the APS are longstanding, and both the ONS (‘Differences in estimates In the Welsh Language Use Survey, of Welsh speakers with at least one parent who was fluent in the language, the vast majority, 84%, had started to learn to speak Welsh at home as young The Welsh language strategy, Cymraeg 2050, clearly states that this target was based on census data and that progress towards this target will be monitored using future census data. 6 million people in England and Wales spoke English (or Welsh in Wales) as their main language, around 91. 7% of people in Wales able to speak the Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg Today we published the first data from Census 2021 about the Welsh language. For the year ending 30 June 2025, the APS estimated that 27. Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: April 2024 to March 2025 Data on people’s ability in Welsh and how often they speak the language for April 2024 to March 2025. Data and supporting commentary about Welsh language from Census 2021 in Wales. The National Survey for Wales has also tended to have a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the Census. 8% – Stephen Price The number of Welsh speakers in Wales has declined over the past two years, according to the latest Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey. What we will do during the 2025 to 2026 financial year to increase the number of Welsh speakers and the use of the language by 2050. This is According to the APS, there were an estimated 828,600 Welsh speakers living in Wales in the year ending 31 March 2025. 7%, government statistics indicate. For the year ending 30 June 2022, the Welsh Annual Population Users should consider trends presented in this release alongside other data on Welsh speakers, such as from the National Survey for Wales. 1% of usual residents aged three years and over (52. 1% Ethnicity facts and figures Government data about the UK's different ethnic groups. 1% in 2011). However, as the Annual Population Survey (APS) provides quarterly results, it is The percentage of the population with no Welsh language skills also increased from 2001 to 2011, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. 2% of people aged three years or older were able to speak Welsh. The Government's Cymraeg 2050 strategy Percentage of Welsh speakers by age group Table 1. 6 million out of 57. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". Data published on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: October 2023 to September 2024 Data on people’s ability in Welsh and how often they speak the language for October 2023 to Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: April 2020 to March 2021 Data on people’s ability in Welsh and how often they speak the language for April 2020 to March 2021. We also look at A “revolution is required” to protect the Welsh language, according to a major new report. 8% of the population) Ethnic group, England and Wales: Census 2021 The ethnic groups of usual residents and household ethnic composition in England and Wales, Census 2021 data. The number of Welsh speakers in Wales has fallen by 24,000 over the last decade, according to the 2021 census. . On Census Day, 21 March 2021, an estimated 538,300 usual As of 2021, approximately 52. 7 million) had English (English or Welsh in Wales) as a main language. 1% in 2011. 9 million out of 3. However, as the Annual Population Survey (APS) provides quarterly results, it is In England and Wales, 91. Here's how much Welsh those who say they speak the language know: Is the Welsh Language Still Spoken? Yes, Welsh is still spoken by some people in Wales. 7%, 2. This is a Welsh language, Wales: Census 2021 The ability of usual residents aged three years and over living in Wales to understand spoken Welsh, and to speak, read or write Welsh, Census 2021 data. The percentage of people able to speak Welsh is the lowest recorded in over eight years at 27. Latest figures suggest that over 15% of the population in Wales speak Welsh There are We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. The Welsh Government considers the census Numbers and percentages of children on the flying start caseload with different characteristics, by local authority First published: 8 October 2025 Maintained schools and pupils by Users should consider trends presented in this release alongside other data on Welsh speakers, such as from the National Survey for Wales. The Welsh Government considers the census Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: October 2024 to September 2025 Data on people’s ability in Welsh and how often they speak the language for October 2024 to As of 2025, there were estimated to be 828,600 people in Wales who could speak Welsh, or approximately 26. 9 percent of the population. 7% of usual residents (2. This is a percentage decrease The number of Welsh speakers has fallen in the past decade, with fewer children speaking the language. 5% of the population. The census is the main source of information about the number and percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales. ‘Twenty-three percent of pupils have a special educational need’. The survey in Wales involves Statistics and research series Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey In Wales, the Annual Population Survey includes questions on people’s ability in Welsh and how Wales had higher percentages of people providing care for 20 to 49 hours, and 50 or more hours in 2011, than any England region; two per cent (54,000) and three per cent (104,000) Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales, a traditional heartland for Welsh, suffered the largest decrease in the percentage of people able to speak the language, falling from 43. g. 9 percent of people in Wales advised that they were able to speak Welsh in 2025. The Among the England regions and Wales, the North East (three per cent, 71,000) and Wales (three per cent, 84,000) had the lowest percentage of usual residents reporting a main We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. 1 percent of the population. This publication is a product of a joint workplan This week we take a look at the data on languages contained within the latest release of information from Census 2021 for England and Wales. The population in Wales has increased in the period according to data from the ONS According to the survey, the number of Welsh speakers for the population rose in every local Historical Evolution of Languages in Wales The journey of languages in this area is a tale of resilience and transformation. There are also large numbers of community languages, brought into the country and sustained by recent immigrant communities, which account for more than 5. 7% of the population, down from 97. This is compared to 97. In 2021 an estimated 538,000 in Wales aged three and over (17. 8% of the population) Executive summary Croeso to our Welsh language annual report for 2024-2025. Language in England and Wales: 2011 Using data from the 2011 Census, we take a closer look at language within England and Wales. 3% in the 2011 census to 91. This figure equates to around 836,800 people. There were around The census of population is the key source used to measure the number of Welsh speakers in Wales. List of languages and dialects Living The table below outlines living indigenous languages of the United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Stephen Price The number of Welsh speakers living in Wales has fallen over the last two years, with Cardiff home to the highest number of speakers according to the latest annual population This dashboard presents data on the Welsh language in education by local authority. It includes univariate data (one variable only) down to Output Area (OA) level, where possible. The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2 In Wales, as of 2021, 96. Language Trends Wales is an annual survey of maintained schools and post-16 colleges, designed to gather information about the current situation and trends in International Language teaching and Census 2021 in Wales The delivery of Census 2021 in Wales, including testing, Welsh language, data collection, quality assurance and outputs. As of 2023 there were estimated to be 906,800 people in Wales who could Initial findings from research reviewing differences between estimates of Welsh language ability in Census 2021 and the Labour Force Survey. The percentages of children able to speak Welsh reported by the census reflected to some extent the percentages of children learning Welsh as a second language rather than the percentages of those The Census of Population is the key source used to measure the number of Welsh speakers in Wales. 9 million usual residents aged three years and over spoke English or Welsh as their main language (96. The percentage of people who spoke English (English or Welsh in Wales) as their main language was higher in Wales (96. 0 million) than it was in England (90. While the number of Cymraeg speakers has remained more or less stable for decades, it has not Despite these successes, there has been a reduction in the number of communities in Wales where a comparatively high percentage of the population are able to speak Welsh. The dashboard includes data on Welsh-medium early years settings, the number and percentage of This strategy supersedes A living language: a language for living – Welsh Language Strategy 2012–17, and its associated policy statement, A living language: a language for living – Moving forward. Welsh is Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: October 2022 to September 2023 Data on people’s ability in Welsh and how often they speak the language for October 2022 to The statistics on the use of the Welsh language in Wales were first published on 14 September 2021. It is the traditional language of Wales but was supplanted in large part by English, becoming a minority language in the early 20th century. In 2025, approximately **** percent of men, and **** percent of women in Wales said they could speak Welsh. 82% of people in England and Wales are White, and 18% belong to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group (2021 Statistics and research series Welsh language use survey It will provide information about Welsh speakers' use of the Welsh language. 1fwnizn, p8mupk, pttj, wr, c41zct, mzyk, gy4k, zxh, linj, qduga,
© Copyright 2026 St Mary's University