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Ellen Bishop, Postdoctoral Innovation Associate (Human Geography), University of Leicester

2021 census shows English decreasing as main language but masks England and Wales' true diversity

Multicultural Tooting High Street, London. William Barton/Shutterstock

The latest release of data from the 2021 census has given us new information about the languages people speak across England and Wales. There is growing linguistic diversity: over 90 different languages were reported as the main language of people living in England and Wales.

However, the ways in which the census asked people about their language use and language proficiency call into question the accuracy and relevance of the data. Many more people may speak additional languages than recorded in the census.

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