What conclusions has the Minister drawn from the decline in the number Welsh speakers recognised by the 2021 Census?
We must look at the census data in detail alongside all other data sources and research over the coming months, as we know that different data sources tell us different things. We should also bear in mind that the census data is a snapshot of the last decade. A decade in which we published Cymraeg 2050 in 2017 and where we were hit by a worldwide pandemic.
Also, we should remember that this data is based on individuals’ perception of their ability (or in the case of children and young people, their parents’ or guardians’ perceptions of their ability) to speak Welsh. Unlike some of our other data sources, the census doesn’t capture people who say that they can speak some Welsh.
It’s possible that’s why other surveys show that more people can speak Welsh than 10 years ago – they ask the questions in a different way.