List of Welsh areas by percentage of Welsh-speakers

Last updated

This is a list of subdivisions of Wales by the percentage of those professing some skills in the Welsh language in the 2011 UK census. The census did not record Welsh-speakers living outside Wales.

Contents

The census determined that 18.56% of the population could speak Welsh and 14.57% could speak, read and write in the language. [1] In the most recent census in 2021, 17.8% reported being able to speak Welsh. [2]

Census breakdown

The Census produced a detailed breakdown of skills as: [3]

Those with the ability to speak Welsh

The second table includes only those people who stated in the 2011 Census that they are able to speak the Welsh language. It was these statistics that were reported by the press when the first data samples were released in 2012. [4]

AreaAble to speak WelshUnable to
speak Welsh
Population total% of those
who can
speak Welsh
% of those
unable to
speak Welsh
Blaenau Gwent 5,31664,49869,8147.61%92.39%
Bridgend 13,223125,955139,1789.50%90.50%
Caerphilly 19,448159,358178,80610.88%89.12%
Cardiff 37,194308,896346,09010.75%89.25%
Carmarthenshire 78,914104,863183,77742.94%57.06%
Ceredigion 34,96440,95875,92247.35%52.65%
Conwy 30,93384,295115,22826.85%73.15%
Denbighshire 22,49171,24393,73423.99%76.01%
Flintshire 19,463133,043152,50612.76%87.24%
Gwynedd 78,41243,462121,87464.34%35.66%
Isle of Anglesey 39,12930,62269,75156.10%43.90%
Merthyr Tydfil 5,08353,71958,8028.64%91.36%
Monmouthshire 8,83182,49291,3239.67%90.33%
Neath Port Talbot 20,843118,969139,81214.91%85.09%
Newport 13,124132,612145,7369.01%90.99%
Pembrokeshire 23,01699,423122,43918.80%81.20%
Powys 24,187108,789132,97618.19%81.81%
Rhondda Cynon Taf 28,123206,287234,41012.00%88.00%
Swansea 26,532212,491239,02311.10%88.90%
The Vale of Glamorgan 13,325113,011126,33610.55%89.45%
Torfaen 8,70482,37191,0759.56%90.44%
Wrexham 16,805118,039134,84412.46%87.54%
Totals576,4622,494,9563,063,45618.56%
Welsh speakers in Wales 2011.svg

Those with knowledge of the Welsh language

For the purpose of the first table, all combinations other than "no knowledge of Welsh" have been combined, giving a percentage of people that state they have some communication skills in the Welsh language rather than an ability to speak Welsh. The totals include children whose parents have filled in the Census details on this behalf.

AreaCan communicate
in Welsh
No knowledge
of Welsh
Population total % of those who
have some knowledge
of Welsh
 % of those who
have no knowledge
of Welsh
Blaenau Gwent 7,80862,00669,81411.18%88.82%
Bridgend 23,532115,646139,17816.91%83.09%
Caerphilly 28,059150,747178,80615.69%84.31%
Cardiff 54,504291,586346,09015.74%84.25%
Carmarthenshire 105,03278,745183,77757.15%42.85%
Ceredigion 43,36632,55675,92257.12%42.88%
Conwy 44,61470,614115,22838.72%61.28%
Denbighshire 32,52861,20693,73434.70%65.30%
Flintshire 30,455122,051152,50619.97%80.03%
Gwynedd 88,85333,021121,87472.91%27.09%
Isle of Anglesey 47,82121,93069,75168.56%31.44%
Merthyr Tydfil 8,64050,16258,80214.69%85.31%
Monmouthshire 12,50078,82391,32313.69%86.31%
Neath Port Talbot 33,896105,916139,81224.24%75.76%
Newport 18,490127,246145,73612.69%87.31%
Pembrokeshire 32,93089,509122,43926.90%73.10%
Powys 36,60296,374132,97627.53%72.47%
Rhondda Cynon Taf 44,911189,499234,41019.16%80.84%
Swansea 45,085193,938239,02318.86%81.14%
Vale of Glamorgan 20,093106,243126,33615.90%84.10%
Torfaen 11,95079,12591,07513.12%86.88%
Wrexham 27,812107,032134,84420.63%79.37%
Totals799,4812,263,9753,063,45626.10%73.90%


Annual Population Survey estimates

In addition to official Census data, the Annual Population Survey publishes sample-based estimates on the number of self-proclaimed Welsh speakers several times a year based on estimates for the previous year. The third table displays uses this data to show estimates for the percentage of people who say they can speak Welsh at the time of each survey, from June 2016 onwards. [5] The 2020 survey reported that 28.6% of people in Wales aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. [6]

Area% Jun 2016% Sep 2016% Dec 2016% Mar 2017% Jun 2017% July 2019
Blaenau Gwent 17.417.316.617.216.719.7
Bridgend 16.416.917.618.417.915.6
Caerphilly 24.123.222.220.921.223.7
Cardiff 15.516.517.918.919.523.7
Carmarthenshire 46.948.850.050.850.553.3
Ceredigion 53.855.355.856.156.659.6
Conwy 35.135.737.939.639.541.6
Denbighshire 35.036.236.735.439.537.3
Flintshire 21.120.219.619.219.723.1
Gwynedd 71.171.371.171.871.176.4
Isle of Anglesey 63.361.961.961.660.867.5
Merthyr Tydfil 20.819.419.520.522.018.5
Monmouthshire 15.715.616.416.316.917.6
Neath Port Talbot 21.722.421.921.221.725.3
Newport 18.918.418.719.019.620.9
Pembrokeshire 27.127.928.029.229.729.6
Powys 25.926.826.327.326.729.9
Rhondda Cynon Taf 20.821.322.823.623.222.3
Swansea 21.422.121.422.122.523.1
Torfaen 18.215.616.917.718.817.7
The Vale of Glamorgan 18.219.218.419.319.220.9
Wrexham 27.727.527.226.025.025.8
Wales26.727.127.427.827.929.8

See also

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References

  1. "2011 Census - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  2. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/language/bulletins/welshlanguagewales/census2021
  3. "2011 Census: Datacube - Welsh language skills by age and sex , unitary authorities in Wales" (Microsoft Excel). Office for National Statistics. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  4. "Census 2011: Number of Welsh speakers falling". bbc.co.uk. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  5. "Annual Population Survey estimates of persons aged 3 and over who say they can speak Welsh by local authority and measure". StatsWales. Annual Population Survey. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  6. "Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey: July 2019 to June 2020". GOV.WALES. Retrieved 11 October 2020.