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

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

Data values	Data description	Year	Local Authority	Category
2,597	Number of pupils	2017/18	Denbighshire	Fluent in Welsh
5,418	Number of pupils	2017/18	Denbighshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
5,085	Number of pupils	2017/18	Denbighshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
13,100 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Denbighshire	Total
1,010	Number of pupils	2017/18	Flintshire	Fluent in Welsh
9,018	Number of pupils	2017/18	Flintshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
9,837	Number of pupils	2017/18	Flintshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,865 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Flintshire	Total
1,321	Number of pupils	2017/18	Wrexham	Fluent in Welsh
6,875	Number of pupils	2017/18	Wrexham	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
7,844	Number of pupils	2017/18	Wrexham	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
16,040 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Wrexham	Total
1,627	Number of pupils	2017/18	Powys	Fluent in Welsh
8,140	Number of pupils	2017/18	Powys	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
5,397	Number of pupils	2017/18	Powys	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
15,164 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Powys	Total
3,732	Number of pupils	2017/18	Ceredigion	Fluent in Welsh
3,176	Number of pupils	2017/18	Ceredigion	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,448	Number of pupils	2017/18	Ceredigion	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
8,356 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Ceredigion	Total
1,903	Number of pupils	2017/18	Pembrokeshire	Fluent in Welsh
6,151	Number of pupils	2017/18	Pembrokeshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,505	Number of pupils	2017/18	Pembrokeshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
14,559 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Pembrokeshire	Total
9,914	Number of pupils	2017/18	Carmarthenshire	Fluent in Welsh
6,824	Number of pupils	2017/18	Carmarthenshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,544	Number of pupils	2017/18	Carmarthenshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
23,282 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Carmarthenshire	Total
2,888	Number of pupils	2017/18	Swansea	Fluent in Welsh
4,518	Number of pupils	2017/18	Swansea	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
22,376	Number of pupils	2017/18	Swansea	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
29,782 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Swansea	Total
2,388	Number of pupils	2017/18	Neath Port Talbot	Fluent in Welsh
3,208	Number of pupils	2017/18	Neath Port Talbot	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
11,722	Number of pupils	2017/18	Neath Port Talbot	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
17,318 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Neath Port Talbot	Total
1,463	Number of pupils	2017/18	Bridgend	Fluent in Welsh
3,159	Number of pupils	2017/18	Bridgend	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
14,461	Number of pupils	2017/18	Bridgend	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,083 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Bridgend	Total
2,301	Number of pupils	2017/18	Vale of Glamorgan	Fluent in Welsh
3,585	Number of pupils	2017/18	Vale of Glamorgan	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
12,900	Number of pupils	2017/18	Vale of Glamorgan	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
18,786 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Vale of Glamorgan	Total
5,512	Number of pupils	2017/18	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Fluent in Welsh
6,093	Number of pupils	2017/18	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
20,665	Number of pupils	2017/18	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
32,270 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Total
454	Number of pupils	2017/18	Merthyr Tydfil	Fluent in Welsh
1,541	Number of pupils	2017/18	Merthyr Tydfil	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
5,102	Number of pupils	2017/18	Merthyr Tydfil	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
7,097 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Merthyr Tydfil	Total
3,625	Number of pupils	2017/18	Caerphilly	Fluent in Welsh
10,785	Number of pupils	2017/18	Caerphilly	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
9,205	Number of pupils	2017/18	Caerphilly	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
23,615 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Caerphilly	Total
140	Number of pupils	2017/18	Blaenau Gwent	Fluent in Welsh
4,409	Number of pupils	2017/18	Blaenau Gwent	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
2,838	Number of pupils	2017/18	Blaenau Gwent	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
7,387 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Blaenau Gwent	Total
1,218	Number of pupils	2017/18	Torfaen	Fluent in Welsh
8,042	Number of pupils	2017/18	Torfaen	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
3,519	Number of pupils	2017/18	Torfaen	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
12,779 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Torfaen	Total
225	Number of pupils	2017/18	Monmouthshire	Fluent in Welsh
7,709	Number of pupils	2017/18	Monmouthshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
2,326	Number of pupils	2017/18	Monmouthshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
10,260 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Monmouthshire	Total
452	Number of pupils	2017/18	Newport	Fluent in Welsh
11,460	Number of pupils	2017/18	Newport	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
9,790	Number of pupils	2017/18	Newport	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
21,702 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Newport	Total
5,448	Number of pupils	2017/18	Cardiff	Fluent in Welsh
6,104	Number of pupils	2017/18	Cardiff	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
33,858	Number of pupils	2017/18	Cardiff	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
45,410 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Cardiff	Total
63,660	Number of pupils	2017/18	Wales	Fluent in Welsh
128,766	Number of pupils	2017/18	Wales	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
199,529	Number of pupils	2017/18	Wales	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
391,955 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Wales	Total
4,106	Number of pupils	2018/19	Isle of Anglesey	Fluent in Welsh
3,271	Number of pupils	2018/19	Isle of Anglesey	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
897	Number of pupils	2018/19	Isle of Anglesey	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
8,274 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Isle of Anglesey	Total
9,606	Number of pupils	2018/19	Gwynedd	Fluent in Welsh
3,664	Number of pupils	2018/19	Gwynedd	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,244	Number of pupils	2018/19	Gwynedd	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
14,514 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Gwynedd	Total
1,672	Number of pupils	2018/19	Conwy	Fluent in Welsh
5,723	Number of pupils	2018/19	Conwy	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,053	Number of pupils	2018/19	Conwy	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
13,448 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Conwy	Total
2,668	Number of pupils	2018/19	Denbighshire	Fluent in Welsh
5,884	Number of pupils	2018/19	Denbighshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
4,677	Number of pupils	2018/19	Denbighshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
13,229 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Denbighshire	Total
1,030	Number of pupils	2018/19	Flintshire	Fluent in Welsh
8,918	Number of pupils	2018/19	Flintshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
9,967	Number of pupils	2018/19	Flintshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,915 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Flintshire	Total

Showing 1,301 to 1,400 of 2,024 rows

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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.