How many Welsh speakers are there?
Census 2021 found 538,300 people aged three and over in Wales able to speak Welsh, 17.8% of that population and down from 19.0% in 2011, according to the ONS Welsh language census bulletin. The Welsh Government treats the census as the key source for counting Welsh speakers.
The Annual Population Survey gives a much higher estimate: 27.3%, or about 843,700 people, in the year ending March 2026, according to the Welsh Government's release of 22 July 2026. The two sources ask different questions in different ways, and the Welsh Government and ONS have published work on the gap.
Check which source a claim uses before comparing figures or tracking progress towards the target of a million speakers by 2050.
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This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about wales: official figures: all Wales: official figures questions.