Whether you speak it or not, this week was a big week for the Welsh language.
Many people, including myself, had hoped the latest census data on Welsh language ability would show an increase. After all, thanks to the Cymru Men’s Football Team qualifying for the World Cup, we’ve seen the world embrace the Welsh language and people of all ages and backgrounds sing ‘Yma o Hyd’ and feel inspired to learn and use the language.
However, the figures showed a decrease, for the second census in a row, from 562,000 to 538,000 – from 19% of the population to 17.8%. The figures noted a decrease of Welsh speakers in all regions of Wales, apart from central south Wales. It also noted a sizable decrease in speakers aged 3-15 years old. As a result, we are now further away from reaching the target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050 than we were a decade ago.
