Annual Population Survey - Ability to read, write and understand spoken Welsh by local authority and year

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [a] = average, [t] = total, [u] = low reliability.

Data values	Data description	Welsh Skill	Local Authority	Year
25.3	Percentage	Read Welsh	Pembrokeshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
16.3 [u]	Percentage	Write Welsh	Wrexham	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
14,700 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Merthyr Tydfil	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
56.5	Percentage	Read Welsh	Ceredigion	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
17.3 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Torfaen	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
19.0 [u]	Percentage	Write Welsh	Flintshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
37,300	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Pembrokeshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
60,200	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
24,400 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Newport	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
23.8 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Powys	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
24.6 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
14.0 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Blaenau Gwent	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
23.0 [a]	Percentage	Write Welsh	Wales	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
30.0 [u]	Percentage	Write Welsh	Denbighshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
39,700	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Denbighshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
50,000	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Ceredigion	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
38,400	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Neath Port Talbot	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
69,800 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Cardiff	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
35,500 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Caerphilly	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
15,900 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Monmouthshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
70.0	Percentage	Read Welsh	Gwynedd	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
18.5 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Wrexham	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
22.7	Percentage	Read Welsh	Neath Port Talbot	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
17.3 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Cardiff	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
22.4 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Merthyr Tydfil	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
17.3 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Caerphilly	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
91,500	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Gwynedd	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
15.4 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Newport	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
67.7	Percentage	Write Welsh	Gwynedd	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
29.5 [u]	Percentage	Write Welsh	Conwy	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
30,900 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Swansea	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
50,500	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Conwy	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
69,900	Number	Write Welsh	Carmarthenshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
40,000	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Powys	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
106,000	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Carmarthenshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
52,800	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Swansea	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
26,200 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Bridgend	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
26,600 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Vale of Glamorgan	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
14,300 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Torfaen	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
27,000 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Denbighshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
12,200 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Blaenau Gwent	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
17,600 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Torfaen	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
25,400 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Caerphilly	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
56.4	Percentage	Read Welsh	Isle of Anglesey	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
9,000 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Blaenau Gwent	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
20.8 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Flintshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
19,000 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Newport	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
16.9 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Swansea	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
18.1 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Bridgend	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
17.7 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Vale of Glamorgan	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
75,800	Number	Read Welsh	Carmarthenshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
28,400 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Caerphilly	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
11,600 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Monmouthshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
36,900 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Swansea	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
935,600 [t]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Wales	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
41,600	Number	Read Welsh	Ceredigion	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
16.3 [u]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Monmouthshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
22,800 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Bridgend	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
51.5	Percentage	Write Welsh	Isle of Anglesey	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
52,600 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Cardiff	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
46,800	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Isle of Anglesey	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
39,500	Number	Write Welsh	Ceredigion	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
33,900	Number	Write Welsh	Isle of Anglesey	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
29,900	Number	Read Welsh	Neath Port Talbot	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
20,100 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Wrexham	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
31,600 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Conwy	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
9,300 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Blaenau Gwent	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
37,200	Number	Read Welsh	Isle of Anglesey	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
43,700 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Flintshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
35,800 [u]	Number	Understand spoken Welsh	Wrexham	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
28,200	Number	Read Welsh	Pembrokeshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
18,000 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Vale of Glamorgan	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
55,000 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
25,000 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Neath Port Talbot	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
18,200 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Bridgend	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
22,800 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Wrexham	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
15,000 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Torfaen	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
77,000	Number	Write Welsh	Gwynedd	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
34,900	Number	Read Welsh	Conwy	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
20,700 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Vale of Glamorgan	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
726,200 [t]	Number	Read Welsh	Wales	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
29,900	Number	Read Welsh	Denbighshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
29,600 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Powys	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
46,400 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
30,000 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Flintshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
47,400 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Cardiff	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
13,600 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Monmouthshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
10,000 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Merthyr Tydfil	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
20,400 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Newport	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
25.6 [a]	Percentage	Read Welsh	Wales	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
11,900 [u]	Number	Read Welsh	Merthyr Tydfil	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
27,400 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Flintshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
32.5	Percentage	Read Welsh	Conwy	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
33.2	Percentage	Read Welsh	Denbighshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
25,800 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Powys	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
25,000 [u]	Number	Write Welsh	Pembrokeshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
652,500 [t]	Number	Write Welsh	Wales	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
44.7	Percentage	Read Welsh	Carmarthenshire	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
79,700	Number	Read Welsh	Gwynedd	Year ending 31 Dec 2004
20.8 [u]	Percentage	Write Welsh	Powys	Year ending 31 Dec 2004

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Main information

• Most recent update: 25 September 2025
• Next update expected: 9 October 2025
• Designation: Official statistics
• Data provider: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
• Data source: Annual Population Survey (APS)

Data notes

• Revisions:
  • 25 September 2025
  • 25 September 2025
• Rounding applied:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and so there may be some apparent slight discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and the totals as shown.

Overview

• Summary of dataset and variables:

  This dataset shows how many people aged 3 or older say they can read, write, and understand spoken Welsh. Figures are shown by local authority in Wales and by year ending date.

  The information is broken down by:

  • Local authority – the area where people live.
  • Year ending – the period the estimate relates to (for example, year ending 31 March 2023).
  • Measure – the estimated number or percentage of people aged 3 or older who report being able to read, write and understand spoken Welsh.

  You can use this dataset to compare local authorities and see how Welsh skills change over time.

• Data collection or calculation:

  The data come from the Annual Population Survey (APS), which is an annual dataset derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Local authority level data have been available since 2001, when an enhanced sample (around 350% larger than the standard survey) was introduced.

  Since 2004, the APS has been produced on a rolling annual basis, with each rolling annual average covering a 12-month period and updated every three months. This provides more timely data while overlapping periods by nine months. The rolling dataset is boosted with additional sampled respondents to improve the robustness of estimates, particularly for local-level geographies.

  For the years 2001–2003, Welsh-specific weights are applied to better reflect population figures for local authorities. In mid-March 2020, APS interviews switched from face-to-face to telephone because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ONS monitored the impact and re-weighted the data accordingly. Face-to-face interviews were reintroduced in autumn 2023. Comparing pre-2020 face-to-face interviews with telephone interviews suggested a slight increase in respondents reporting Welsh-speaking ability, so caution is advised when interpreting trends across this period.

  The survey collects information on the population’s ability to speak Welsh. Respondents aged 3 or older are asked whether they can speak Welsh, and estimates are presented as counts or percentages of Welsh speakers.

  Standard analysis and weighting methods are applied to ensure the estimates are representative of the population.

• Statistical quality:

  These estimates were previously classified as accredited official statistics. Due to a fall in sample sizes in the Annual Population Survey (APS) in recent years, and because the survey has not been reweighted to the latest population estimates, this accreditation has been temporarily suspended. The estimates are now designated as official statistics.

  The statistics remain suitable for use, but users should note that there is increased uncertainty, particularly for smaller geographic areas or population sub-groups, where estimates are less reliable. Trends should be considered alongside other sources of information on Welsh speakers, such as the National Survey for Wales. The Welsh Government considers the census of population to be the key source of information to measure the number of Welsh speakers in Wales.

  All APS data are sample-based, meaning results are estimates rather than exact counts. The true value of any measure lies within a range around the estimate, with variability increasing as data become more detailed. For example, local authority-level estimates are subject to greater uncertainty than national-level estimates.

  APS responses are weighted to official population projections. Initially, 2020 data were based on 2018 population projections, which did not account for changes from the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2021, APS data were reweighted using updated population estimates derived from HM Revenue and Customs Real Time Information (RTI), improving accuracy for overall rates and levels.

  These changes reduce potential bias in higher-level aggregates, but some smaller breakdowns may still be affected due to reduced sample sizes during the pandemic, leading to more extreme variation in estimates.

• Related reports:
  • Data am y Gymraeg o'r Arolwg Blynyddol o'r Boblogaeth
  • Welsh language data from the Annual Population Survey

Published by

• Organisation: Welsh Government
• Contact email: welshlanguagedata@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.