More than twenty thousand people are now learning Welsh, according to new data published today (17 March 2026) by the National Centre for Learning Welsh.
A total of 20,445 individuals completed the National Centre’s courses in 2024-2025, the highest number recorded, and a 61% increase since data was first published in 2017-2018. The figure represents a 12% increase when compared to the previous year (18,330 in 2023-2024).
The growth reflects the Centre’s strategic approach to Learn Welsh provision. Tailored, flexible programmes have been developed for specific audiences, alongside wide-ranging community-based services, meaning more opportunities to learn and use the language.
People learning through work now account for 39% of all learners (8,370), reflecting the National Centre’s significant expansion in provision for Health and Social Care and the Education Workforce, among other key sectors.
This focus on workplace learning has seen Estyn describe the Centre as “one of the cornerstones of linguistic planning initiatives in the workplace.” More people are being supported to develop their Welsh language skills, which is strengthening bilingual capacity in workplaces.
The majority of learners, 17,350 individuals (84% of all learners who stated their date of birth) are aged 16-64, while there has been a dramatic increase in the number of young people learning Welsh.
In 2024-2025, 4,110 of learners were aged 16-24, a 56% increase when compared to 2023-2024, and a major 483% increase since 2018-2019, when the Centre first published data about learners’ ages, when there were 705 learners in the 16-24 age group.
During 2024-2025, learners also intensified their learning, completing 34,960 learning activities, an increase of 12% when compared to 2023-2024.
Dona Lewis, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said: “We’re delighted with these latest figures, which show consistent, steady growth in the number of people learning Welsh.
“The figures reflect the National Centre’s strategic planning and the way it uses its expertise to reach new audiences – particularly in workplaces – which support its aim of creating more Welsh speakers.
“We’re especially encouraged by the growth in the number of young people completing our courses. We’ve developed tailored provision for this age group and our partnerships with organisations such as the Urdd enable us to create meaningful opportunities for young people across Wales.
“We’re proud of every one of our learners, who are engaged and eager to use their Welsh, and of the more than 500 dedicated tutors who support them in communities and workplaces across Wales. We look forward to welcoming many more people to the Welsh language, and to helping them every step of their language journey.”
For more details, please follow the next link to the data:
