Cardiff now has more Welsh speakers than any other part of Wales

Mark Mansfield

Cardiff is now home to more Welsh speakers than any other local authority in Wales, with new figures showing almost 97,000 people in the city can speak the language.

A report discussed by Cardiff Council’s Cabinet on Thursday found that an estimated 96,800 people aged three and over can speak Welsh, representing 26.4% of the population.

The figures, drawn from the Annual Population Survey, show continued growth in Welsh language use in the capital, with the number of speakers rising from 86,400 in 2023.

The report also found Cardiff Council has met key Welsh language targets a year ahead of schedule, including goals to increase the number of staff with Welsh language skills and participation in language training.

According to the report, 21.3% of council employees have now recorded Welsh language skills, up from 14.5% in 2022.

More than 1,100 staff took part in Welsh language training during the past year, bringing the total number of participants since the launch of the council’s Bilingual Cardiff strategy to almost 6,000.

The growth in Welsh language use is also being reflected in schools, with almost one in five children starting Welsh-medium primary education in Cardiff during 2025.

Council leader Councillor Chris Weaver said: “Our ambition is to make Cardiff a truly bilingual capital where Welsh is a natural part of everyday life.

“It is fantastic to see the progress we are making, not just in growing the number of Welsh speakers across the city, but in building a workforce that can deliver high-quality services in Welsh.”

He added: “Meeting our targets ahead of schedule shows the impact of the work taking place across the Council and with partners to promote and support the Welsh language is having.”

Welsh language initiatives

The annual report highlights a range of Welsh language initiatives undertaken during the year, including increased translation work, higher levels of Welsh-language social media engagement and continued support for major events such as Tafwyl.

It also notes support for the Gyrfa Gymraeg careers fair, which attracted more than 700 pupils, and the expansion of the Cymraeg i Bawb programme aimed at promoting Welsh-medium education and engaging new communities.

Alongside the report, Cabinet approved an updated Bilingual Cardiff Council policy setting out the authority’s ambition to become a fully bilingual organisation where Welsh and English are used confidently in day-to-day work.

The policy includes a commitment to support staff in learning and using Welsh and an ambition to adopt the TUC’s Twf Charter, which promotes the use of Welsh in the workplace.

The full report is available here