List of Welsh areas by percentage of Welsh-speakers facts for kids

Did you know that in Wales, many people speak a special language called Welsh? This article looks at how many people in different parts of Wales could speak Welsh, according to the 2011 UK census. A census is like a big survey that counts everyone and asks them questions.

The 2011 census found that about 18.56% of people in Wales could speak Welsh. Also, 14.57% could speak, read, and write it. More recently, in the 2021 census, about 17.8% said they could speak Welsh. This information helps us understand how many people use the language across Wales.

Understanding Welsh Language Skills

The census asked people about their Welsh language skills. It didn't just ask if they could speak it. It wanted to know more details.

Here are the different ways people described their Welsh skills:

• They understood spoken Welsh, but had no other skills.
• They could speak Welsh, but not read or write it.
• They could speak and read Welsh, but not write it.
• They could speak, read, and write Welsh.
• They had other combinations of skills, like being able to read but not speak Welsh.
• They had no knowledge of Welsh at all.

This detailed breakdown helps show the different levels of language ability across Wales.

How Many People Can Speak Welsh?

The table below shows the number and percentage of people who said they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census. This is the information that was first shared with the public when the census results came out.

Area Able to speak Welsh Unable to speak Welsh Population total  % of those who can speak Welsh  % of those unable to speak Welsh Blaenau Gwent 5,316 64,498 69,814 7.61% 92.39% Bridgend 13,223 125,955 139,178 9.50% 90.50% Caerphilly 19,448 159,358 178,806 10.88% 89.12% Cardiff 37,194 308,896 346,090 10.75% 89.25% Carmarthenshire 78,914 104,863 183,777 42.94% 57.06% Ceredigion 34,964 40,958 75,922 47.35% 52.65% Conwy 30,933 84,295 115,228 26.85% 73.15% Denbighshire 22,491 71,243 93,734 23.99% 76.01% Flintshire 19,463 133,043 152,506 12.76% 87.24% Gwynedd 78,412 43,462 121,874 64.34% 35.66% Isle of Anglesey 39,129 30,622 69,751 56.10% 43.90% Merthyr Tydfil 5,083 53,719 58,802 8.64% 91.36% Monmouthshire 8,831 82,492 91,323 9.67% 90.33% Neath Port Talbot 20,843 118,969 139,812 14.91% 85.09% Newport 13,124 132,612 145,736 9.01% 90.99% Pembrokeshire 23,016 99,423 122,439 18.80% 81.20% Powys 24,187 108,789 132,976 18.19% 81.81% Rhondda Cynon Taf 28,123 206,287 234,410 12.00% 88.00% Swansea 26,532 212,491 239,023 11.10% 88.90% The Vale of Glamorgan 13,325 113,011 126,336 10.55% 89.45% Torfaen 8,704 82,371 91,075 9.56% 90.44% Wrexham 16,805 118,039 134,844 12.46% 87.54% Totals 576,462 2,494,956 3,063,456 18.56%

People with Any Welsh Knowledge

This next table shows how many people had any knowledge of Welsh. This includes those who could speak, read, or write it, or even just understand it. It also includes children whose parents filled out the census for them.

Latest Estimates on Welsh Speakers

Besides the big census every ten years, there's also something called the Annual Population Survey. This survey gives estimates on how many people say they can speak Welsh. These estimates are updated several times a year.

For example, the 2020 survey showed that about 28.6% of people in Wales aged three and over could speak Welsh. The table below shows how these percentages changed over a few years, from June 2016 to July 2019.

See also

• Irish language in Northern Ireland
• List of Scottish council areas by number of Scottish Gaelic speakers
• List of Welsh principal areas