Written question WQ86931

The census gave us a snapshot of the situation of the Welsh language in March last year. It didn’t tell us what happened before or after that. Cymraeg 2050 had been in place for less than four years at the time Census 2021 was held, and much of that time was affected by COVID-19. Our work is now back on track.

Also, we should remember that this data is based on individuals’ perception of their ability (or in the case of children and young people, their parents’, or guardians’ perceptions of their ability) to speak Welsh. Unlike some of our other data sources, the census doesn’t capture people who say that they can speak some Welsh.

We remain absolutely committed to our aim of a million Welsh speakers and doubling the number of us who use Welsh every day by 2050. The National Survey for Wales shows an increase in people saying they are able to speak some Welsh. We’ll look at all these data sources carefully.

We’ll take time to examine the data carefully, including the figures relating to 3-15-year-olds. The decline is mainly due to the number of children and young people reported as being able to speak Welsh. We’ll continue with free access to Welsh lessons for all those aged 16-25, and work with local authorities to deliver their 10-year Welsh in Education strategic plans.