Pupils in maintained schools aged 5 or over, ability to speak Welsh as assessed by parents, by sector, category and year (primary, middle and secondary schools)

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [t] = total.

Data values	Data description	Year	Sector	Category
33,112	Number of pupils	2011/12	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
77,005	Number of pupils	2011/12	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
87,898	Number of pupils	2011/12	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
198,015 [t]	Number of pupils	2011/12	Secondary schools	Total
61,123	Number of pupils	2011/12	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
123,763	Number of pupils	2011/12	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
205,507	Number of pupils	2011/12	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
390,393 [t]	Number of pupils	2011/12	All schools	Total
27,776	Number of pupils	2012/13	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
49,110	Number of pupils	2012/13	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
117,038	Number of pupils	2012/13	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
193,924 [t]	Number of pupils	2012/13	Primary schools	Total
1,086	Number of pupils	2012/13	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
2,090	Number of pupils	2012/13	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
234	Number of pupils	2012/13	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
3,410 [t]	Number of pupils	2012/13	Middle schools	Total
32,319	Number of pupils	2012/13	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
74,404	Number of pupils	2012/13	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
84,556	Number of pupils	2012/13	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
191,279 [t]	Number of pupils	2012/13	Secondary schools	Total
61,181	Number of pupils	2012/13	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
125,604	Number of pupils	2012/13	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
201,828	Number of pupils	2012/13	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
388,613 [t]	Number of pupils	2012/13	All schools	Total
28,716	Number of pupils	2013/14	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
50,276	Number of pupils	2013/14	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
119,774	Number of pupils	2013/14	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
198,766 [t]	Number of pupils	2013/14	Primary schools	Total
1,019	Number of pupils	2013/14	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
1,977	Number of pupils	2013/14	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
278	Number of pupils	2013/14	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
3,274 [t]	Number of pupils	2013/14	Middle schools	Total
32,140	Number of pupils	2013/14	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
73,805	Number of pupils	2013/14	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
80,482	Number of pupils	2013/14	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
186,427 [t]	Number of pupils	2013/14	Secondary schools	Total
61,875	Number of pupils	2013/14	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
126,058	Number of pupils	2013/14	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
200,534	Number of pupils	2013/14	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
388,467 [t]	Number of pupils	2013/14	All schools	Total
29,766	Number of pupils	2014/15	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
50,381	Number of pupils	2014/15	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
121,540	Number of pupils	2014/15	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
201,687 [t]	Number of pupils	2014/15	Primary schools	Total
1,429	Number of pupils	2014/15	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
2,192	Number of pupils	2014/15	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
425	Number of pupils	2014/15	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
4,046 [t]	Number of pupils	2014/15	Middle schools	Total
31,876	Number of pupils	2014/15	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
72,182	Number of pupils	2014/15	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
78,350	Number of pupils	2014/15	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
182,408 [t]	Number of pupils	2014/15	Secondary schools	Total
63,071	Number of pupils	2014/15	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
124,755	Number of pupils	2014/15	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
200,315	Number of pupils	2014/15	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
388,141 [t]	Number of pupils	2014/15	All schools	Total
29,559	Number of pupils	2015/16	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
51,520	Number of pupils	2015/16	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
123,861	Number of pupils	2015/16	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
204,940 [t]	Number of pupils	2015/16	Primary schools	Total
2,329	Number of pupils	2015/16	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
2,231	Number of pupils	2015/16	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
396	Number of pupils	2015/16	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
4,956 [t]	Number of pupils	2015/16	Middle schools	Total
31,175	Number of pupils	2015/16	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
72,214	Number of pupils	2015/16	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
75,280	Number of pupils	2015/16	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
178,669 [t]	Number of pupils	2015/16	Secondary schools	Total
63,063	Number of pupils	2015/16	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
125,965	Number of pupils	2015/16	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
199,537	Number of pupils	2015/16	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
388,565 [t]	Number of pupils	2015/16	All schools	Total
29,580	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
51,315	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
125,869	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
206,764 [t]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Total
3,077	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
4,018	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,232	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
8,327 [t]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Total
30,964	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
71,345	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
72,503	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
174,812 [t]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Total
63,621	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
126,678	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
199,604	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
389,903 [t]	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Total
28,931	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
51,480	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
128,217	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
208,628 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Total
4,661	Number of pupils	2017/18	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
4,919	Number of pupils	2017/18	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,529	Number of pupils	2017/18	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
11,109 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Middle schools	Total
30,068	Number of pupils	2017/18	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
72,367	Number of pupils	2017/18	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
69,783	Number of pupils	2017/18	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
172,218 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Secondary schools	Total

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Main information

• Most recent update: 24 September 2025
• Next update expected: July 2026
• Designation: Official statistics
• Data provider: Welsh Government
• Data source: Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC)
• Time period covered: September 2003 to August 2025

Data notes

Overview

• Summary of dataset and variables:

  Data from the annual School Census which collects information on schools, pupils, classes, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, additional learning needs and special educational needs.

• Data collection or calculation:

  The data in this report is collected by the Welsh Government from local authority maintained schools in a return called the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC). PLASC is an electronic collection of pupil and school level data. Schools record data on pupils and the school throughout the year in their Management Information System (MIS) software. This data is collated into an electronic PLASC return and submitted to the Welsh Government through DEWI, a secure online data transfer system developed by the Welsh Government. Various stages of automated validation and sense-checking are built into the process to ensure a high quality of data to inform policy making and funding.

• Statistical quality:

  The returns are authorised by headteachers and validated by local authorities.

  The school census date is usually in January. Due to the level of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in January 2022, the 2022 census date was delayed to 15 February 2022. School closures between December 2020 and March 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic meant that the 2021 census date was delayed to 20 April 2021.

  Pupils are eligible for free school meals if their parents or guardians are in receipt of certain means-tested benefits or support payments. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may have impacted on the quality of this data and may have resulted in over recording of this data in 2020 to 2022. These figures do not include pupils who only receive free school meals due to the universal primary free school meal policy.

• Related reports:
  • Schools' census results

Published by

• Organisation: Welsh Government
• Contact email: school.stats@gov.wales

Metadata

The metadata for this dataset is not included when you download the data. You can download this separately. This contains all the information from the 'About this dataset' tab.