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
9,723	Number of pupils	2020/21	Carmarthenshire	Fluent in Welsh
9,981	Number of pupils	2020/21	Carmarthenshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
3,812	Number of pupils	2020/21	Carmarthenshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
23,516 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Carmarthenshire	Total
3,310	Number of pupils	2020/21	Swansea	Fluent in Welsh
4,272	Number of pupils	2020/21	Swansea	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
22,380	Number of pupils	2020/21	Swansea	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
29,962 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Swansea	Total
2,683	Number of pupils	2020/21	Neath Port Talbot	Fluent in Welsh
2,557	Number of pupils	2020/21	Neath Port Talbot	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
12,424	Number of pupils	2020/21	Neath Port Talbot	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
17,664 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Neath Port Talbot	Total
1,262	Number of pupils	2020/21	Bridgend	Fluent in Welsh
3,300	Number of pupils	2020/21	Bridgend	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
14,911	Number of pupils	2020/21	Bridgend	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,473 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Bridgend	Total
2,432	Number of pupils	2020/21	Vale of Glamorgan	Fluent in Welsh
6,687	Number of pupils	2020/21	Vale of Glamorgan	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
10,343	Number of pupils	2020/21	Vale of Glamorgan	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,462 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Vale of Glamorgan	Total
5,757	Number of pupils	2020/21	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Fluent in Welsh
7,050	Number of pupils	2020/21	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
20,152	Number of pupils	2020/21	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
32,959 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Rhondda Cynon Taf	Total
508	Number of pupils	2020/21	Merthyr Tydfil	Fluent in Welsh
1,574	Number of pupils	2020/21	Merthyr Tydfil	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
5,260	Number of pupils	2020/21	Merthyr Tydfil	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
7,342 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Merthyr Tydfil	Total
3,704	Number of pupils	2020/21	Caerphilly	Fluent in Welsh
10,391	Number of pupils	2020/21	Caerphilly	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
9,235	Number of pupils	2020/21	Caerphilly	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
23,330 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Caerphilly	Total
110	Number of pupils	2020/21	Blaenau Gwent	Fluent in Welsh
3,985	Number of pupils	2020/21	Blaenau Gwent	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
3,411	Number of pupils	2020/21	Blaenau Gwent	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
7,506 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Blaenau Gwent	Total
1,302	Number of pupils	2020/21	Torfaen	Fluent in Welsh
7,362	Number of pupils	2020/21	Torfaen	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
3,552	Number of pupils	2020/21	Torfaen	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
12,216 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Torfaen	Total
197	Number of pupils	2020/21	Monmouthshire	Fluent in Welsh
7,358	Number of pupils	2020/21	Monmouthshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
2,737	Number of pupils	2020/21	Monmouthshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
10,292 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Monmouthshire	Total
789	Number of pupils	2020/21	Newport	Fluent in Welsh
11,631	Number of pupils	2020/21	Newport	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
10,497	Number of pupils	2020/21	Newport	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
22,917 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Newport	Total
5,618	Number of pupils	2020/21	Cardiff	Fluent in Welsh
6,827	Number of pupils	2020/21	Cardiff	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
35,003	Number of pupils	2020/21	Cardiff	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
47,448 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Cardiff	Total
64,317	Number of pupils	2020/21	Wales	Fluent in Welsh
134,956	Number of pupils	2020/21	Wales	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
199,061	Number of pupils	2020/21	Wales	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
398,334 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Wales	Total
3,623	Number of pupils	2021/22	Isle of Anglesey	Fluent in Welsh
3,294	Number of pupils	2021/22	Isle of Anglesey	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,506	Number of pupils	2021/22	Isle of Anglesey	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
8,423 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Isle of Anglesey	Total
9,289	Number of pupils	2021/22	Gwynedd	Fluent in Welsh
4,002	Number of pupils	2021/22	Gwynedd	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,353	Number of pupils	2021/22	Gwynedd	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
14,644 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Gwynedd	Total
1,665	Number of pupils	2021/22	Conwy	Fluent in Welsh
5,413	Number of pupils	2021/22	Conwy	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,374	Number of pupils	2021/22	Conwy	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
13,452 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Conwy	Total
2,579	Number of pupils	2021/22	Denbighshire	Fluent in Welsh
6,174	Number of pupils	2021/22	Denbighshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
5,017	Number of pupils	2021/22	Denbighshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
13,770 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Denbighshire	Total
1,004	Number of pupils	2021/22	Flintshire	Fluent in Welsh
8,362	Number of pupils	2021/22	Flintshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
10,409	Number of pupils	2021/22	Flintshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
19,775 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Flintshire	Total
1,368	Number of pupils	2021/22	Wrexham	Fluent in Welsh
7,734	Number of pupils	2021/22	Wrexham	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,995	Number of pupils	2021/22	Wrexham	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
16,097 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Wrexham	Total
1,460	Number of pupils	2021/22	Powys	Fluent in Welsh
7,401	Number of pupils	2021/22	Powys	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
6,260	Number of pupils	2021/22	Powys	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
15,121 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Powys	Total
3,466	Number of pupils	2021/22	Ceredigion	Fluent in Welsh
3,162	Number of pupils	2021/22	Ceredigion	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
1,788	Number of pupils	2021/22	Ceredigion	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
8,416 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Ceredigion	Total
1,764	Number of pupils	2021/22	Pembrokeshire	Fluent in Welsh
5,487	Number of pupils	2021/22	Pembrokeshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
7,328	Number of pupils	2021/22	Pembrokeshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
14,579 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Pembrokeshire	Total
9,310	Number of pupils	2021/22	Carmarthenshire	Fluent in Welsh
10,674	Number of pupils	2021/22	Carmarthenshire	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
3,557	Number of pupils	2021/22	Carmarthenshire	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
23,541 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Carmarthenshire	Total
3,277	Number of pupils	2021/22	Swansea	Fluent in Welsh
5,098	Number of pupils	2021/22	Swansea	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
21,693	Number of pupils	2021/22	Swansea	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
30,068 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Swansea	Total

Showing 1,601 to 1,700 of 2,024 rows

Page 17 of 21

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.