One in five Welsh people disapprove of the use of Welsh, while two-thirds approve of efforts to increase the language’s usage
The status of the Welsh language has been a key political issue in Wales for decades, with concern over the decline in the number who can speak the language, which hit its lowest proportion ever in the 2021 census.
Since devolution, there have been renewed efforts to promote the Welsh language and combat this decline. Some aspects of this, such as the official renaming of the Brecon Beacons to Bannau Brycheiniog or the banning of English-only street signs, have sparked criticism.
But despite this criticism, just one in five Welsh people (20%) disapprove of efforts to increase the usage of the Welsh language, compared to two-thirds (67%) who are in favour. Naturally, those who can speak Welsh are more enthusiastic, with nine in ten (92%) approving of attempts to expand the language’s usage, but 63% of those who can't speak Welsh are also supportive.
There is, though, a political divide. Among Welsh people who vote for left-of-centre parties, support is widespread, with 95% of Plaid Cymru and 73% of Labour voters approving of efforts to increase the usage of Welsh. Disapproval is more common among those who vote for right-of-centre parties, with Reform UK voters tending to approve by a smaller margin of 52% to 34% and Conservatives being roughly evenly split 45% to 48%.
But although there is broad approval for attempts to promote the Welsh language, enthusiasm for further promotion is more limited, with just a third of Welsh people (32%) believing that the efforts to encourage Welsh usage have not gone far enough, relative to 36% who see the current levels being about right. Just one in five Welsh people (21%) feel promotion of Welsh has gone too far.
The idea that the right balance is currently being struck stands out more among those who do not speak Welsh, where the 36% who feel promotion of the Welsh language is ‘about right’ outnumber both the 27% who feel things have not progressed far enough and the 24% who believe the promotion of Welsh has gone too far.
Welsh speakers, however, feel there is still room to go, with 60% believing that Welsh language promotion has not gone far enough, roughly double the 32% who feel things are ‘about right’ as they are.
When do Welsh people think the Welsh language should be used?
One of the key parts of efforts to promote the Welsh language has been bilingualism in public information, which is mandatory for public sector bodies and some private sector organisations (such as utilities providers).
Welsh people are consistent when it comes to the extent of bilingualism, with three-quarters (73-76%) believing all the types of information polled, from council publications to signs in shops, should always be presented in both English and Welsh, while one in five (19-20%) feel the information should solely be given in English.
A similar picture is true when it comes to teaching Welsh in schools, where since 2000 it has been a compulsory subject for children until the age of 16. Seven in ten Welsh people (72%) say it at least somewhat important for children in Wales to learn Welsh in schools, compared to just a quarter (25%) who say it is not very important or not important at all.
Even among Conservative and Reform UK voters, who are typically the most sceptical towards the Welsh language, a small majority (54%) say it is important for school children to learn Welsh, though this is less than the 80% of Labour voters and 96% of Plaid Cymru voters who say the same.
Welsh people also tend to see the Welsh language as more important for children to learn than a foreign language, with 45% seeing learning Welsh as preferable, compared to 35% who see it as more important to learn a foreign language. Those who cannot speak Welsh, however, are evenly divided (39% vs 39%) over which is more useful to learn.
See the full results here
How do you feel about the use of the Welsh language, the strength of Welsh culture in general, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
