Welsh language use with service providers (Welsh Language Use Survey): July 2019 to March 2020
This analysis reports on the use of the Welsh language with services.
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In this page
Introduction
This analysis reports on the use of the Welsh language with services. It also reports on the recognition of the orange “Cymraeg” logo.
The findings in this statistical bulletin are based on data from the Welsh Language Use Survey 2019 to 2020. The survey ended earlier than planned in March 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More information on the survey methodology, and the consequent limitations of the data, is available in the section on quality and methodology information.
We have previously published initial findings and topic summaries on the use of Welsh in the home and in education, Social use of the Welsh language and Welsh language use in the workplace.
Although 3 to 15 year olds were asked some questions in the Welsh Language Use Survey, only adults aged 16 years or older were asked questions about their use of the Welsh language with services.
Unless otherwise stated, all data in this statistical bulletin are from the Welsh Language Use Survey 2019 to 2020.
Main points
Language offered
- 85% of Welsh speakers reported being offered customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the local authority.
- Over half (56%) of Welsh speakers reported being offered customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted a GP surgery or hospital.
- Welsh speakers reported that they were more likely to have been offered customer service in Welsh by banks and building societies when contacting them face to face than when contacting them by telephone or online.
Language used
- Over half (53%) of Welsh speakers reported that they had received customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the local authority, and over a third the last time they contacted the GP surgery or hospital.
- Older Welsh speakers, more fluent Welsh speakers, and Welsh speakers who had started learning to speak Welsh at home as young children were most likely to report that they had received customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted these services.
Cymraeg logo
- Most Welsh speakers (71%) reported that they were aware of the orange “Cymraeg” logo and knew what it meant.
Language choice
- Over half (51%) of Welsh speakers reported that they would usually choose Welsh at least equally with English when interacting with staff who make it known that they can speak Welsh and 30% would always or almost always use Welsh.
- Over a third (36%) of Welsh speakers reported that they would usually choose Welsh at least equally with English at a cashpoint, and over a fifth (21%) would always or almost always use Welsh.
Language offered and used with services
Respondents were asked whether they were offered customer service in Welsh the last time they had contacted various services, and whether they had received the customer service in Welsh. The results presented in this section exclude Welsh speakers who had not contacted the relevant service in the previous 12 months.
In all cases, a lower proportion of Welsh speakers had received customer service in Welsh than had been offered it, although in each case there were some who had received customer service in Welsh but had not been offered it.
Of the Welsh speakers who said that they had contacted the following services:
- 85% reported that they had been offered customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the local authority
- 56% reported that they had been offered customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the GP surgery or hospital
- 34% reported that they had been offered customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the bank or building society
- 27% reported that they had been offered customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the gas, electricity or water provider
- 14% reported that they had been offered customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the telephone, internet or mobile phone provider
Of the Welsh speakers who said that they had contacted the following services:
- 53% reported that they had received customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the local authority
- 36% reported that they had received customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the GP surgery or hospital
- 22% reported that they had received customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the bank or building society
- 12% reported that they had received customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the gas, electricity or water provider
- 7% reported that they had received customer service in Welsh the last time they contacted the telephone, internet or mobile phone provider
In 2019 to 2020, the National Survey for Wales asked Welsh speakers aged 16 years or older about their contact with local authorities. When thinking about the last time they had spoken with someone at the local authority, 57% of Welsh speakers had had a conversation in Welsh.
Figure 1: Reported language offered and used when dealing with service providers [Note 1]
Description of Figure 1: A stacked bar chart showing that Welsh speakers were most likely to report that customer service had been offered and received in Welsh the last time they contacted the local authority, followed by the GP surgery or hospital, and least likely to be offered and received in Welsh the last time they had contacted the telephone, internet or mobile phone provider.
[Note 1] This chart does not include Welsh speakers who had not had contact with the relevant service provider in the previous 12 months.
Where Welsh speakers had reported being offered customer service in Welsh, 60% had received the service in Welsh the last time they contacted the local authority, and 58% had received the service in Welsh the last time they contacted both the GP surgery or hospital, and the bank or building society. 36% reported having received the service in Welsh the last time they contacted the telephone, internet or mobile phone provider, and 35% reported having received the service in Welsh the last time they contacted the gas, electricity or water provider.
In most cases, the way in which the service was contacted had no statistically significant effect on the language offered or received, but in the case of banks or building societies, Welsh speakers were most likely to report having been offered and having received the service in Welsh when they had made contact face to face.
The National Survey for Wales 2019-20 asked Welsh speakers aged 16 years or older who had visited a bank in the previous seven days what language they had spoken with staff, finding that 36% spoke Welsh with all staff. This is similar to our findings, which show that 33% of Welsh speakers used Welsh face to face with banks or building societies. The question in the Welsh Language Use Survey covered a longer time period of 12 months, whereas the National Survey for Wales covered only interactions in the previous seven days.
Figure 2: Percentage of Welsh speakers reporting that Welsh was offered by and used with banks and building societies, by method of contact [Note 1]
Description of Figure 2: A bar chart showing 40% of Welsh speakers reported banks and building societies offered Welsh in face-to-face conversations with Welsh speakers, and Welsh was used in 33% of these conversations. Welsh was least likely to be offered or used when Welsh speakers had contacted the service using an email, letter or online form.
[Note 1] This chart does not include those who had not had contact with the relevant service provider in the last year.
For local authorities, GP surgeries or hospitals, and banks and building societies, Welsh speakers in north-west Wales were more likely to report both having been offered and having received customer service in Welsh than Welsh speakers elsewhere in Wales. There were no statistically significant differences by area for gas, electricity or water providers and phone and internet providers.
There is a local element to these services, for example GP surgeries or local branches of banks, which may explain why a geographic difference is seen for these services but not for gas, electricity or water providers and phone and internet providers, who are more likely to have a centralised point of contact, for example, call centres.
For all services, older Welsh speakers, fluent Welsh speakers, people who speak Welsh daily, and people who started learning to speak Welsh at home as young children were all most likely to have reported receiving customer service in Welsh.
Cymraeg logo
Respondents were asked whether they were aware of the orange Cymraeg logo. Most Welsh speakers (71%) said that they were aware of the logo and its meaning, while 7% said that they had seen it before but weren’t sure what it meant, and 22% said that they were not aware of it and its meaning.
Fluent Welsh speakers were most aware of the logo and its meaning, with 83% of fluent Welsh speakers aware of the logo and its meaning, as were 81% of Welsh speakers who spoke the language daily. Welsh speakers who started learning to speak the language at school were less aware of the logo and its meaning, with 55% of Welsh speakers who started learning the language at primary school aware of the logo and its meaning, and 60% of Welsh speakers who started learning the language at secondary school aware of the logo and its meaning. Welsh speakers aged 65 years or older were also less likely to be aware of the logo and its meaning compared with younger Welsh speakers, with 58% being aware of the logo and its meaning.
Figure 3: Percentage of Welsh speakers who report awareness of the Cymraeg logo by age group
Description of Figure 3: A stacked bar chart showing that Welsh speakers aged 65 years or older are less likely to be aware of the Cymraeg logo and its meaning than Welsh speakers in other age groups, while Welsh speakers aged 16 to 29 years old are most likely to have seen the logo before but not sure of its meaning.
Language choice
Respondents were asked about their usual choice of language in a range of situations, if a Welsh language option is available. The results presented in this section exclude Welsh speakers who said that they didn’t use the service.
Welsh speakers said that they were more likely to choose to use Welsh face to face than in other situations. This is the only situation where over half of Welsh speakers said they would usually choose to use Welsh at least equally with English.
When speaking with staff who make it known that they can speak Welsh:
- 51% of Welsh speakers usually choose Welsh at least equally with English
- 30% always or almost always usually choose Welsh
When at a cashpoint:
- 36% of Welsh speakers usually choose Welsh at least equally with English
- 21% always or almost always usually choose Welsh
When on public service websites:
- 25% of Welsh speakers usually choose Welsh at least equally with English
- 9% always or almost always usually choose Welsh
To complete official forms:
- 23% of Welsh speakers usually choose Welsh at least equally with English
- 10% always or almost always usually use Welsh
When at a self-service checkouts:
- 22% of Welsh speakers usually choose Welsh at least equally with English
- 11% always or almost always usually use Welsh
Figure 4: Language usually chosen by type of service [Note 1]
Description of Figure 4: A stacked bar chart showing that Welsh speakers are most likely to usually choose Welsh to speak with staff who make it known that they can speak Welsh, and least likely to use Welsh on public service websites, at self-service checkouts, and to complete official forms, where the option to use Welsh is available.
[Note 1] Welsh speakers who responded that they do not do this have been excluded from the chart.
Fluent and daily Welsh speakers, and Welsh speakers who started learning to speak the language at home as young children were most likely to usually choose Welsh for all these types of service.
Older Welsh speakers are more likely than younger speakers to usually choose to speak Welsh with staff who make it known that they can speak Welsh, with 61% of Welsh speakers aged 65 years or older saying that they usually choose to speak Welsh at least equally with English, compared with 45% of Welsh speakers aged 16 to 29 years old.
Figure 5: Language chosen with Welsh-speaking staff, by age [Note 1]
Description of Figure 5: A stacked bar chart showing that the likelihood of usually choosing to speak Welsh with staff who make it known that they can speak Welsh increases with age.
[Note 1] Welsh speakers who responded that they do not speak with Welsh-speaking staff have been excluded from the chart.
Welsh speakers may choose to use Welsh in all, some, or none of the situations listed which are relevant to them. In total, 18% of Welsh speakers said that they usually choose Welsh at least equally with English in all situations where they use the service, while 46% of Welsh speakers said that they would choose to always use English or mainly English in all situations where they use the service.
Older Welsh speakers and Welsh speakers who speak the language fluently are most likely to say that they would usually choose to use Welsh at least equally with English for those services, as are Welsh speakers who speak the language daily, Welsh speakers who live in north-west Wales, and Welsh speakers who started learning to speak the language at home as young children.
Figure 6: Welsh speakers who would always use Welsh at least equally with English [Note 1], [Note 2]
Description of Figure 6: A bar chart showing what proportion of Welsh speakers with various characteristics would usually choose to use Welsh at least equally with English in these situations.
[Note 1] Some characteristics have been omitted.
[Note 2] Welsh speakers who responded that they do not engage in all of the above situations have been excluded from this chart.
Welsh speakers who said that they usually choose mainly, almost always or always English in any of these situations were asked why. They could choose more than one reason.
Of the Welsh speakers who usually choose English with at least one of the services, 52% stated that they prefer to use English for those services. This was the reason most commonly given by Welsh speakers aged 16 to 29 years old, and Welsh speakers aged 65 years or older. It was also the most common reason given by fluent Welsh speakers, Welsh speakers who spoke the language daily, Welsh speakers who never spoke the language, and Welsh speakers who had started learning to speak the language at home as young children.
A roughly equivalent proportion of Welsh speakers who answered this question (52%) reported that they were worried that their Welsh wasn’t good enough. This was the reason most commonly given by Welsh speakers aged 30 to 44 years old, and Welsh speakers aged 45 to 64 years old. It was also the most common reason given by Welsh speakers who did not speak the language fluently, Welsh speakers who spoke the language weekly or less often, and Welsh speakers who had started learning to speak the language in nursery, in school, or as adults.
Of the other reasons chosen by Welsh speakers who said they would choose to use English with at least one of the services:
- 26% said Welsh could be too formal or technical
- 18% said using English saved work for everyone
- 17% said that others they were with don’t speak Welsh
- 4% worried the service wouldn’t be as fast
- 4% had had a bad experience using Welsh in the past
- 6% had another reason
Figure 7: Reasons given by respondents for using English
Description of Figure 7: A bar chart showing the reasons given by Welsh speakers for using English, showing the two most common reasons given are that they worried their Welsh wasn’t good enough and that they preferred to use English for those services.
Respondents who noted that there were other reasons why they used services in English were given the option to provide a write-in response. The reasons given by those who wrote in a response included that their English was better than their Welsh, or their first language, or that they found English easier to use; Welsh not being available, or not being the first option; use of an unfamiliar dialect (north or south); the Welsh available not being of a good enough standard; and habit.
National Survey for Wales
The National Survey for Wales in 2019-20 asked respondents aged 16 years or older about the language used in banks, pubs, cafes or restaurants, shops, post offices, supermarkets and with local authorities. These results are available through the Results Viewer. To be eligible for these questions, the respondent had to have visited the relevant establishment within the previous seven days. This question therefore deals only with contact which takes place in a physical establishment, not interactions which take place online, over the phone, or using written correspondence. Respondents to the National Survey indicated similar use of Welsh with local authorities and banks to that seen here.
Quality and methodology information
The purpose of the Welsh Language Use Survey is to know how often, where, when and with whom Welsh speakers use Welsh, and to know more about their skills in the language. We consider that the census remains the main source of information about the Welsh language ability of the population aged three years or older in Wales, but this survey provides us with information about the use of the language by Welsh speakers.
The Welsh Language Use Survey 2019 to 2020 is a continuation of research undertaken jointly by the Welsh Language Commissioner and the Welsh Government in 2013 to 2015. There was also a Language Use Survey in 2004 to 2006 (UK Data Service Provider), carried out by the Welsh Language Board.
The Welsh Language Use Survey 2019 to 2020 was carried out as part of the National Survey for Wales, in similar fashion to the Welsh Language Use Survey 2013 to 2015. The original intention was to conduct the follow-up language use survey between July 2019 and March 2021, namely the Welsh Language Use Survey 2019 to 2021. However, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the survey ended earlier than planned, therefore the fieldwork took place between 1 July 2019 and 14 March 2020, also resulting in a smaller sample than planned. To allow the detailed analyses with the smaller sample available for 2019-20, we have included totals between 5 and 30 in our analyses. The lower quality is identified where appropriate.
The questionnaires used for the 2019 to 2020 survey were developed by the Welsh Government following consultation with users of statistics about the Welsh language. Most of the questions had not changed since the Welsh Language Use Survey 2013 to 2015. However, some new questions were introduced, for example, about the views of Welsh speakers about the language, and the confidence of Welsh speakers in speaking the language.
There were two types of questionnaires, one for adults (aged 16 years or older) and one for children and young people (aged 3 to 15 years old). The questionnaire for children and young people was completed by the parent or guardian, or by the young person if they wished to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaires could be completed in English or Welsh. Copies of both questionnaires can be found on the survey materials webpage.
The survey response rate was 47%; of all Welsh speakers identified in the National Survey for Wales, 47% of people had completed and returned the questionnaire. This is slightly higher than the 44% response rate in the Welsh Language Use Survey 2013 to 2015.
Technical and quality information from the Welsh Language Use Survey 2019 to 2020 (including further information on the survey acceptance, return and response rates) can be found in the National Survey for Wales 2019 to 2020 technical report.
Welsh regions
To be able to report at a consistent geographical level throughout this report, we present data at a regional level. These regions are consistent with those used in the National Survey for Wales’s analyses of the Welsh language.
The regions used in this report and their constituent local authorities are listed below:
North-west Wales
- Isle of Anglesey
- Gwynedd
- Conwy
North-east Wales
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Wrexham
Mid Wales
- Powys
- Ceredigion
South-west Wales
- Pembrokeshire
- Carmarthenshire
- Swansea
- Neath Port Talbot
South-east Wales
- Bridgend
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Cardiff
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Caerphilly
- Blaenau Gwent
- Torfaen
- Monmouthshire
- Newport
The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the survey ended earlier than planned and what is presented here, therefore, is the results of the first nine months of the survey, the Welsh Language Use Survey 2019 to 2020.
Further detail on the impact on the analyses can be found in the quality and methodology section in the initial findings of the survey.
The Welsh Government has published a report on the findings of a survey about the effects of COVID-19 on Welsh language community groups since the start of the pandemic. Known groups were asked to complete the survey, which gathered evidence on how the groups had operated before the pandemic, whether they had been able to operate since the start of the first lockdown in March 2020 and what their expectations were for the future.
National Statistics status
The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics (United Kingdom Statistics Authority).
National Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality, and public value.
All official statistics should comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Statistics. They are awarded National Statistics status following an assessment by the UK Statistics Authority’s regulatory arm. The Authority considers whether the statistics meet the highest standards of Code compliance, including the value they add to public decisions and debate.
It is Welsh Government’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected of National Statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the Authority promptly. National Statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored.
Since the last review by the Office for Statistics Regulation, we have continued to conform to the Code of Practice for Statistics, and we have made improvements, such as consulting further with our users on their needs concerning the use of the Welsh Language.
Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFG)
The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 is about improving the social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of Wales. The Act puts in place seven wellbeing goals for Wales. These are for a more equal, prosperous, resilient, healthier, and globally responsible Wales, with cohesive communities and a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. Under section (10)(1) of the Act, the Welsh Ministers must (a) publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the wellbeing goals, and (b) lay a copy of the national indicators before Senedd Cymru. Under section 10(8) of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators, they must as soon as reasonably practicable (a) publish the indicators as revised and (b) lay a copy of them before the Senedd. These national indicators were laid before the Senedd in 2021. The indicators laid on 14 December 2021 replace the set laid on 16 March 2016.
No national indicator has been included in this statement but the national indicator for the use of the Welsh language, which uses the same data source, the Welsh Language Use Survey 2019 to 2020, has been updated in our initial results on Welsh language use in Wales.
Information on the indicators, along with narratives for each of the wellbeing goals and associated technical information is available in the Well-being of Wales report.
Further information on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The statistics included in this release could also provide supporting narrative to the national indicators and be used by public services boards in relation to their local wellbeing assessments and local wellbeing plans.
