Welsh language

Welsh (Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] ^ⓘ or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ]) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina).

Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric".

The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Senedd (the Welsh parliament).

According to the 2021 census, 538,300 usual residents in Wales aged three or over (17.8% of the population) were able to speak Welsh, while just over a quarter (25.1%) reported having some Welsh language skills.

Other surveys have produced higher figures: a survey in 2022–2023 found that 34% of people aged 16 or over could speak Welsh (of whom 18 per cent said they could speak Welsh, and 16 per cent said they had some Welsh speaking ability). In September 2025, other survey data estimated that 828,500 people (26.9%) aged three or over in Wales could speak Welsh.

Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20% are able to speak a fair amount. 56% of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19% speak the language weekly.

Since 1951, the number of Welsh speakers living in Wales has gone up, though the percentage of Welsh speakers with respect to the entire population of Wales has decreased every census year, with the exception of the 1991 and the 2001 UK Census.

The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million, and to double the daily use of the language, by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered the least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO.