Pupils in maintained schools aged 5 or over, speaking Welsh at home as assessed by parents, by sector, category and year (primary, middle and secondary schools)

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [t] = total.

Data values	Data description	Year	Sector	Category
427,808 [t]	Number of pupils	2003/04	All schools	Total
423,960 [t]	Number of pupils	2004/05	All schools	Total
418,507 [t]	Number of pupils	2005/06	All schools	Total
412,631 [t]	Number of pupils	2006/07	All schools	Total
405,628 [t]	Number of pupils	2007/08	All schools	Total
399,750 [t]	Number of pupils	2008/09	All schools	Total
399,638 [t]	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Total
399,226 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Total
398,334 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Total
397,744 [t]	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Total
395,931 [t]	Number of pupils	2009/10	All schools	Total
395,373 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Total
394,029 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	Total
393,096 [t]	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Total
392,698 [t]	Number of pupils	2010/11	All schools	Total
391,955 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	All schools	Total
390,393 [t]	Number of pupils	2011/12	All schools	Total
389,903 [t]	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Total
388,613 [t]	Number of pupils	2012/13	All schools	Total
388,565 [t]	Number of pupils	2015/16	All schools	Total
388,467 [t]	Number of pupils	2013/14	All schools	Total
388,141 [t]	Number of pupils	2014/15	All schools	Total
291,397	Number of pupils	2003/04	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
286,679	Number of pupils	2004/05	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
282,375	Number of pupils	2005/06	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
277,566	Number of pupils	2006/07	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
257,562	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
256,755	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
252,979	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
245,801	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
240,490	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
235,844	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
235,536	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
231,355	Number of pupils	2017/18	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
229,981	Number of pupils	2007/08	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
224,523	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
222,698	Number of pupils	2008/09	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
216,755	Number of pupils	2015/16	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
216,375	Number of pupils	2009/10	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
215,609 [t]	Number of pupils	2003/04	Secondary schools	Total
214,626 [t]	Number of pupils	2004/05	Secondary schools	Total
213,045 [t]	Number of pupils	2005/06	Secondary schools	Total
212,199 [t]	Number of pupils	2003/04	Primary schools	Total
210,353 [t]	Number of pupils	2006/07	Secondary schools	Total
209,334 [t]	Number of pupils	2004/05	Primary schools	Total
208,824	Number of pupils	2010/11	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
208,628 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Total
208,175	Number of pupils	2014/15	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
207,614 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Total
206,936 [t]	Number of pupils	2007/08	Secondary schools	Total
206,764 [t]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Total
205,462 [t]	Number of pupils	2005/06	Primary schools	Total
205,421 [t]	Number of pupils	2008/09	Secondary schools	Total
205,225	Number of pupils	2011/12	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
205,086 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Total
204,940 [t]	Number of pupils	2015/16	Primary schools	Total
203,907 [t]	Number of pupils	2009/10	Secondary schools	Total
203,711 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Primary schools	Total
202,492 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Primary schools	Total
202,278 [t]	Number of pupils	2006/07	Primary schools	Total
201,687 [t]	Number of pupils	2014/15	Primary schools	Total
201,339	Number of pupils	2012/13	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
201,230 [t]	Number of pupils	2010/11	Secondary schools	Total
200,394 [t]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Primary schools	Total
199,973	Number of pupils	2013/14	All schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
198,766 [t]	Number of pupils	2013/14	Primary schools	Total
198,692 [t]	Number of pupils	2007/08	Primary schools	Total
198,015 [t]	Number of pupils	2011/12	Secondary schools	Total
197,874 [t]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Primary schools	Total
194,329 [t]	Number of pupils	2008/09	Primary schools	Total
193,924 [t]	Number of pupils	2012/13	Primary schools	Total
193,920 [t]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Primary schools	Total
192,378 [t]	Number of pupils	2011/12	Primary schools	Total
192,024 [t]	Number of pupils	2009/10	Primary schools	Total
191,468 [t]	Number of pupils	2010/11	Primary schools	Total
191,279 [t]	Number of pupils	2012/13	Secondary schools	Total
186,427 [t]	Number of pupils	2013/14	Secondary schools	Total
182,408 [t]	Number of pupils	2014/15	Secondary schools	Total
178,669 [t]	Number of pupils	2015/16	Secondary schools	Total
175,957 [t]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Secondary schools	Total
174,948 [t]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Secondary schools	Total
174,812 [t]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Total
174,133 [t]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Secondary schools	Total
172,818 [t]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Secondary schools	Total
172,218 [t]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Secondary schools	Total
171,271 [t]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Secondary schools	Total
170,424 [t]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Secondary schools	Total
170,277 [t]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Secondary schools	Total
150,693	Number of pupils	2003/04	Primary schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
147,440	Number of pupils	2013/14	All schools	Does not speak Welsh at home
147,228	Number of pupils	2004/05	Primary schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
146,612	Number of pupils	2012/13	All schools	Does not speak Welsh at home
146,062	Number of pupils	2005/06	Primary schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
144,614	Number of pupils	2011/12	All schools	Does not speak Welsh at home
144,440	Number of pupils	2023/24	Primary schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
144,116	Number of pupils	2006/07	Primary schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
143,442	Number of pupils	2024/25	Primary schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
143,312	Number of pupils	2022/23	Primary schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh
143,136	Number of pupils	2010/11	All schools	Does not speak Welsh at home
142,842	Number of pupils	2021/22	Primary schools	Not applicable / cannot speak Welsh

Showing 1 to 100 of 316 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.