Why research is important
We undertake research into many different aspects of the Welsh language in order to:
- support our work in influencing policy;
- produce policy notes and respond to consultations in a meaningful way;
- produce assurance reports that show how organisations are performing and reports on the user experience;
- produce resources to assist and encourage organisations, charities and businesses of all kinds to use the Welsh language;
- produce a statutory report every 5 years on the position of the Welsh language.
The Commissioner and the Welsh Government are committed to share information and identifying opportunities to collaborate on statistics and research relating to the Welsh language, where appropriate. See our framework.
Statistics on the number of speakers and use of Welsh
The census is the main authoritative source for information on the numbers of Welsh speakers in Wales.
Statistics on the use of the Welsh language can be found in the results of the Welsh Language Use Survey that we conducted jointly with the Welsh Government and published in 2015. The 2019–20 Language Use Survey had to be discontinued early because of COVID-19 and therefore the data collected is incomplete and cannot be compared with the results of the previous survey.
The Welsh Government also collects statistical information on the Welsh language and useful analysis based on annual national surveys on the StatsWales website. There is also a section that brings together other data sources on the Welsh language and links to useful external websites such as InfoBaseCymru which is maintained by Data Cymru.
How can academics contribute to the Commissioner's work?
Our research interests on the Welsh language are extensive and academic engagement and knowledge exchange can benefit both academic researchers and the Commissioner.
If you would like more information about our policy and research priorities or if you have any research you would like to share with us, please contact us.