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
3,655	Number of pupils	2019/20	Ceredigion	Fluent in Welsh
3,024	Number of pupils	2019/20	Ceredigion	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,654	Number of pupils	2019/20	Ceredigion	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
8,333 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Ceredigion	Total
1,790	Number of pupils	2019/20	Pembrokeshire	Fluent in Welsh
6,330	Number of pupils	2019/20	Pembrokeshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,285	Number of pupils	2019/20	Pembrokeshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
14,405 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Pembrokeshire	Total
10,005	Number of pupils	2019/20	Carmarthenshire	Fluent in Welsh
8,868	Number of pupils	2019/20	Carmarthenshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
4,542	Number of pupils	2019/20	Carmarthenshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
23,415 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Carmarthenshire	Total
3,128	Number of pupils	2019/20	Swansea	Fluent in Welsh
4,208	Number of pupils	2019/20	Swansea	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
22,493	Number of pupils	2019/20	Swansea	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
29,829 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Swansea	Total
2,478	Number of pupils	2019/20	Neath Port Talbot	Fluent in Welsh
3,093	Number of pupils	2019/20	Neath Port Talbot	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
12,032	Number of pupils	2019/20	Neath Port Talbot	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
17,603 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Neath Port Talbot	Total
1,358	Number of pupils	2019/20	Bridgend	Fluent in Welsh
3,220	Number of pupils	2019/20	Bridgend	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
14,722	Number of pupils	2019/20	Bridgend	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,300 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Bridgend	Total
2,437	Number of pupils	2019/20	Vale of Glamorgan	Fluent in Welsh
6,308	Number of pupils	2019/20	Vale of Glamorgan	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
10,361	Number of pupils	2019/20	Vale of Glamorgan	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,106 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Vale of Glamorgan	Total
5,156	Number of pupils	2019/20	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Fluent in Welsh
7,881	Number of pupils	2019/20	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
19,610	Number of pupils	2019/20	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
32,647 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Total
567	Number of pupils	2019/20	Merthyr Tydfil	Fluent in Welsh
1,598	Number of pupils	2019/20	Merthyr Tydfil	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
5,027	Number of pupils	2019/20	Merthyr Tydfil	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
7,192 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Merthyr Tydfil	Total
3,687	Number of pupils	2019/20	Caerphilly	Fluent in Welsh
10,690	Number of pupils	2019/20	Caerphilly	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
8,979	Number of pupils	2019/20	Caerphilly	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
23,356 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Caerphilly	Total
131	Number of pupils	2019/20	Blaenau Gwent	Fluent in Welsh
4,206	Number of pupils	2019/20	Blaenau Gwent	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
3,176	Number of pupils	2019/20	Blaenau Gwent	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
7,513 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Blaenau Gwent	Total
1,343	Number of pupils	2019/20	Torfaen	Fluent in Welsh
7,906	Number of pupils	2019/20	Torfaen	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
3,437	Number of pupils	2019/20	Torfaen	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
12,686 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Torfaen	Total
169	Number of pupils	2019/20	Monmouthshire	Fluent in Welsh
7,474	Number of pupils	2019/20	Monmouthshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
2,522	Number of pupils	2019/20	Monmouthshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
10,165 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Monmouthshire	Total
688	Number of pupils	2019/20	Newport	Fluent in Welsh
11,647	Number of pupils	2019/20	Newport	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
10,113	Number of pupils	2019/20	Newport	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
22,448 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Newport	Total
5,748	Number of pupils	2019/20	Cardiff	Fluent in Welsh
6,525	Number of pupils	2019/20	Cardiff	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
34,330	Number of pupils	2019/20	Cardiff	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
46,603 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Cardiff	Total
64,030	Number of pupils	2019/20	Wales	Fluent in Welsh
136,062	Number of pupils	2019/20	Wales	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
195,281	Number of pupils	2019/20	Wales	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
395,373 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Wales	Total
3,812	Number of pupils	2020/21	Isle of Anglesey	Fluent in Welsh
3,335	Number of pupils	2020/21	Isle of Anglesey	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,242	Number of pupils	2020/21	Isle of Anglesey	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
8,389 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Isle of Anglesey	Total
9,465	Number of pupils	2020/21	Gwynedd	Fluent in Welsh
3,909	Number of pupils	2020/21	Gwynedd	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,224	Number of pupils	2020/21	Gwynedd	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
14,598 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Gwynedd	Total
1,706	Number of pupils	2020/21	Conwy	Fluent in Welsh
5,500	Number of pupils	2020/21	Conwy	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,332	Number of pupils	2020/21	Conwy	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
13,538 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Conwy	Total
2,627	Number of pupils	2020/21	Denbighshire	Fluent in Welsh
6,207	Number of pupils	2020/21	Denbighshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
4,834	Number of pupils	2020/21	Denbighshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
13,668 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Denbighshire	Total
1,048	Number of pupils	2020/21	Flintshire	Fluent in Welsh
8,810	Number of pupils	2020/21	Flintshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
10,030	Number of pupils	2020/21	Flintshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,888 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Flintshire	Total
1,506	Number of pupils	2020/21	Wrexham	Fluent in Welsh
7,646	Number of pupils	2020/21	Wrexham	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,999	Number of pupils	2020/21	Wrexham	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
16,151 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Wrexham	Total
1,482	Number of pupils	2020/21	Powys	Fluent in Welsh
7,520	Number of pupils	2020/21	Powys	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,118	Number of pupils	2020/21	Powys	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
15,120 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Powys	Total
3,557	Number of pupils	2020/21	Ceredigion	Fluent in Welsh
3,115	Number of pupils	2020/21	Ceredigion	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,699	Number of pupils	2020/21	Ceredigion	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
8,371 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Ceredigion	Total
1,719	Number of pupils	2020/21	Pembrokeshire	Fluent in Welsh
5,939	Number of pupils	2020/21	Pembrokeshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,866	Number of pupils	2020/21	Pembrokeshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
14,524 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Pembrokeshire	Total

Showing 1,501 to 1,600 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.