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
28,752 [t]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Middle schools	Total
9,824	Number of pupils	2024/25	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
205,766	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
20,789	Number of pupils	2024/25	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
47,250	Number of pupils	2024/25	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
393,096 [t]	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Total
57,837	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
125,881	Number of pupils	2024/25	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
193,920 [t]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Primary schools	Total
170,424 [t]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Secondary schools	Total
28,177	Number of pupils	2024/25	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
8,871	Number of pupils	2024/25	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
10,057	Number of pupils	2024/25	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
129,493	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
72,419	Number of pupils	2024/25	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
69,828	Number of pupils	2024/25	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
9,007	Number of pupils	2023/24	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
132,130	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
172,818 [t]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Secondary schools	Total
126,630	Number of pupils	2023/24	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
49,569	Number of pupils	2023/24	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
28,889	Number of pupils	2023/24	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
21,675	Number of pupils	2023/24	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
70,396	Number of pupils	2023/24	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
27,052 [t]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Middle schools	Total
9,028	Number of pupils	2023/24	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
206,043	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
197,874 [t]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Primary schools	Total
397,744 [t]	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Total
9,017	Number of pupils	2023/24	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
59,571	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
73,533	Number of pupils	2023/24	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
23,278	Number of pupils	2022/23	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
50,962	Number of pupils	2022/23	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
126,154	Number of pupils	2022/23	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
74,407	Number of pupils	2022/23	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
399,638 [t]	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Total
205,222	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
200,394 [t]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Primary schools	Total
71,429	Number of pupils	2022/23	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
174,948 [t]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Secondary schools	Total
29,112	Number of pupils	2022/23	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
61,269	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
133,147	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
24,296 [t]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Middle schools	Total
8,879	Number of pupils	2022/23	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
7,778	Number of pupils	2022/23	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
7,639	Number of pupils	2022/23	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
399,226 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Total
134,839	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
24,206	Number of pupils	2021/22	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
51,458	Number of pupils	2021/22	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
126,828	Number of pupils	2021/22	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
62,347	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
75,669	Number of pupils	2021/22	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
30,912	Number of pupils	2021/22	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
20,777 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Middle schools	Total
69,376	Number of pupils	2021/22	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
202,492 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Primary schools	Total
7,229	Number of pupils	2021/22	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
7,712	Number of pupils	2021/22	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
202,040	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
175,957 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Secondary schools	Total
5,836	Number of pupils	2021/22	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
26,338	Number of pupils	2020/21	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
51,426	Number of pupils	2020/21	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
398,334 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Total
174,133 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Secondary schools	Total
64,317	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
134,956	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
67,252	Number of pupils	2020/21	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
125,947	Number of pupils	2020/21	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
75,981	Number of pupils	2020/21	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
199,061	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
7,079	Number of pupils	2020/21	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
7,549	Number of pupils	2020/21	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
5,862	Number of pupils	2020/21	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
203,711 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Primary schools	Total
20,490 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Middle schools	Total
30,900	Number of pupils	2020/21	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
395,373 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Total
27,003	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
195,281	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
52,750	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
64,030	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
136,062	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
125,333	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
30,528	Number of pupils	2019/20	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
76,093	Number of pupils	2019/20	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
64,650	Number of pupils	2019/20	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
6,499	Number of pupils	2019/20	Middle schools	Fluent in Welsh
7,219	Number of pupils	2019/20	Middle schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
5,298	Number of pupils	2019/20	Middle schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
205,086 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Total
19,016 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Middle schools	Total
171,271 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Secondary schools	Total
394,029 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	Total
63,728	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
133,035	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
52,161	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently

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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.