Welsh-speaking population

Welsh, a Brythonic Celtic language, was historically spoken by the majority of Wales' population, with current estimates suggesting a third of the current population of Wales speak the language.

Graphical summary 1750-1900
  • Languages of Wales 1750–1900
  • 1750
    1750
  • 1800
    1800
  • 1850
    1850
  • 1900
    1900
Key: • Welsh (green) • Bilingual (pink) • English (white)

Prior to the census
  • 1801: about 80%[1] (Population: 587,000,[2] so approx. 470,000 Welsh speakers)
  • 1851: about 67%[1] (Population: 1,163,000,[2] so approx. 779,000 Welsh speakers)

Census
A map showing the proportion of respondents in the 2011 census aged 3+ who said they could speak Welsh
Welsh speakers in Wales as recorded in decennial censuses
Year Number of speakers % of population % change since
previous census
1891 (first recording) 910,289[3] **51.2[3] N/A
1901 930,000[4] 50[4] −1.2
1911 *977,366[5] 43.5[5] −6.5
1921 929,183[6] 37.4[6] −5.9
1931 909,261[7] 36.8[7] −0.6
1941 (no census held) N/A N/A N/A
1951 714,686[7] 28.9[7] −7.9
(in 20 yrs)
1961 659,022[7] 26.0[7] −2.9
1971 542,425[8] 20.7[8] −5.3
1981 503,532[9] 19.0[9] −1.7
1991 508,000[10] 18.7[10] −0.3
2001 582,400[11] 20.5[12] +1.8
2011 562,000[10] 19.0[10] -1.5
2021 538,000[13] 17.8[13] -1.2

*largest population of Welsh speakers ever recorded in a census

**largest proportion of Welsh speakers ever recorded in a census

N/A: not applicable

Census figures denote those able to speak Welsh above the age of 3 years old.[14][15]

Annual Population Surveys
Welsh speakers in Wales as per annual population surveys[16]
Year ending December
unless otherwise stated		 Number of speakers % of population % change since
previous year
2001 836,070 30.0 N/A
2002 811,043 29.0 −1.0
2003 786,072 28.0 −1.0
2004 767,960 27.1 −0.9
2005 753,236 26.5 −0.6
2006 757,423 26.5 0.0
2007 725,407 25.2 −1.3
2008 763,858 26.4 +1.2
2009 739,679 25.5 −0.9
2010 742,331 25.5 0.0
2011 769,038 26.3 +0.8
2012 768,734 26.2 −0.1
2013 794,799 27.0 +0.8
2014 812,515 27.5 +0.5
2015 809,008 27.3 −0.2
2016 842,717 28.3 +1.0
2017 873,634 29.2 +0.9
2018 898,375 29.9 +0.7
2019 858,901 28.4 −1.5
2020 883,069 29.1 +0.7
2021 892,200 29.5 +0.4
2022 (year ending in June) 899,500 29.7 +0.2

N/A: not applicable

Annual population survey figures indicate the number of people over the age of three years able to speak Welsh.[17] The number of speakers has been estimated based on the percentage of the population that speak Welsh and the general population size provided by the APS.

Welsh medium education
Main article: Welsh-medium education

Primary education
School year Welsh-Medium

pupils[18]

 Number of pupils in classes where Welsh

is the sole or main medium of instruction*[18][19]

 % of pupils in classes where Welsh

is the sole or main medium of instruction*[18][19]

1985 29,368 11.7
1986 30,109 11.9
1887 31,320 12.2
1988 33,174 12.5
1989/1990 45,387 36,441 13.5
1990/1991 46,773 38,404 14.1
1991/1992 43,984 43,984 16.0
1992/19943 46,088 46,088 16.6
1993/1994 48,845 46,950 16.4
1994/1995 47,907 49,382 17.1
1995/1996 49,187 50,327 17.2
1996/1997 49,472 50,392 17.2
1997/1998 50,398 51,853 17.7
1998/1999 50,118 51,600 17.7
1999/2000 49,545 51,336 17.8
2000/2001 49,422 51,087 17.9
2001/2002 49,687 51,344 18.2
2002/2003 50,756 51,977 18.7
2003/2004 51,131 52,064 19.1
2004/2005 52,792 52,857 19.6
2021/2022 90,715

*More than half of curriculum teaching is through the medium of Welsh

Secondary education
School year Welsh-Medium

pupils[18]

1988/1989 26,151
1989/1990 26,058
1990/1991 27,897
1991/1992 29,990
1992/1993 29,791
1993/1994 31,132
1994/1995 33,204
1995/1996 32,973
1996/1997 33,371
1997/1998 34,566
1998/1999 36,289
1999/2000 37,288
2000/2001 38,007
2001/2002 38,817
2002/2003 39,458
2003/2004 40,169

See also

Welsh language

Other

References
  1. Davies, J (1993). The Welsh Language. University of Wales Press.
  2. John Davies (1993). A History of Wales. pp. 258–59, 319. ISBN 9780141926339.
  3. "IX.—LANGUAGES IN WALES AND MONMOUTHSHIRE".
  4. Deuchar, Margaret. "Minority Language Survival in Northwest Wales: An Introduction" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. "Welsh language – Fast Facts". Learn Welsh. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  6. "Welsh Speakers in 1921 | Peoples Collection Wale". www.peoplescollection.wales. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  7. "A Linguistic Map of Wales" (PDF). JSTOR 1792639. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. Emery, Frank; White, Paul (1975). "Welsh-Speaking in Wales According to the 1971 Census". Area. 7 (1): 26–30. JSTOR 20000922.
  9. "No dataset selected – Nomis – Official Labour Market Statistics". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  10. "2011 Census: First Results on the Welsh Language" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. "Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: 2001 to 2018". GOV.WALES. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  12. "Census shows Welsh language rise". 14 February 2003. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  13. "Welsh language, Wales - Office for National Statistics 2021 Census". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  14. "Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: October 2020 to September 2021". GOV.WALES. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  15. "Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: October 2020 to September 2021". GOV.WALES. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  16. "Annual Population Survey – Ability to speak Welsh by local authority and year". statswales.gov.wales. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  17. Statistician, Chief (27 March 2019). "Chief Statistician's update: a discussion about the Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey". Digital and Data Blog. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  18. "Welsh language". statswales.gov.wales. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  19. "Number of pupils in primary, middle and secondary school classes by local authority and Welsh category". statswales.gov.wales. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
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