Welsh Language Strategy 2023 to 2028: the Welsh Language in Denbighshire

The results of the 2021 Census show that 20,940 people in Denbighshire can speak Welsh, which corresponds to 22.5% of the population. The total number who could speak Welsh in 2011 was 22,240, which is 24.6% of the population. Over a period of ten years there was a fall of 1,300 in number and 2.1% as a percentage of Welsh speakers in the county. This is explained by the fall in the number of people who can speak Welsh (-1,300) and growth in the county's population (+2,066).

The 2021 Census was conducted during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. It is not yet known how the pandemic could have affected the Census data in relation to Welsh language skills. It should be noted that the period of the pandemic was characterized by periods of lockdown, children learning remotely, and a significant change in work and socializing patterns.

Despite this, it should be considered that the fall noted above was measured between the 2011 Census and the 2021 Census, which is beyond the specific period of the language strategy (2017-2022).

Geographical distribution of Welsh speakers

The geographical distribution of Welsh speakers in Denbighshire is slightly more even than that found in Conwy. In general, the neighborhoods with the lowest percentages of Welsh speakers are in the coastal areas in the towns of Rhyl and Prestatyn (between 4.9% and 20% with one area at 26.3%).

The highest percentages of Welsh speakers are found in the South-West rural neighborhoods of the county, but the percentages have been decreasing consistently with each census. Now there are only two neighborhoods that have over 60% who can speak Welsh with a handful just over 50%. It should be noted, however, that the population of these neighborhoods is small. The table below shows the electoral divisions with the highest and lowest percentages of Welsh speakers in Denbighshire:

Towns of the Valley

Three of the towns in the Valley (Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen) have areas with high percentages and numbers of Welsh speakers living in them. These towns are therefore very significant in terms of planning for the future of the language.

What these towns have in common is the fact that Welsh speakers tend to cluster more and more in certain parts of them, meaning that some parts are more Welsh in terms of language than others.

Denbigh

Welsh speakers are much more likely to live at the bottom of Denbigh, to the South and South East of the secondary school than up in Upper Denbigh with a difference in percentages that is 15 - 20% higher (e.g. 52.2%, 47.6%, 45.4%, 43.4%, 40% in the southern area compared to percentages between 15% and 27% up in the center of town).

Ruthin

The same pattern can be seen here with the percentages of Welsh speakers significantly higher to the South of Mwrog Street, Well Street and Rhos Street (e.g. 42.6%, 44.4%, 46.5%, 47.4%, 50%, 52.9%, 53.7%) than to the North of this isoglos (21.2%, 21.7%, 25.2%, 28.2%, 31%, 31.6%). The outskirts to the North of the isoglos, however, are slightly higher which suggests that Welsh speakers, in general (just as seen in Denbigh) like to live out of the town center (37%, 37.1%, 38%, 38.6%.)

Corwen

In Corwen the percentage of Welsh speakers in the western areas of the town (51.1% and 52.7%.) is significantly higher than the percentage in the east of the town (35.5%).

In these three towns there seems to be a connection between the geographical distribution of Welsh speakers and the availability of a Welsh-medium school and that children are therefore deprived of the opportunity to become fluent in Welsh based on the area in which they live.

Distribution of Welsh Speakers by Age

The ability to speak Welsh differs greatly according to age. According to the 2021 Census 37.3% of children aged 3-15 could speak Welsh in Denbighshire down from 45.9% in 2011. The 16-19 age group was also relatively high. In 2021 it was 31.3%. Unfortunately, these two figures are likely to be invalid as they are significantly higher than the percentage of school age children who receive Welsh education in the county (27%). A similar fall was seen to occur in many other eastern counties between these age groups.

This change, however, was not a fall in the actual numbers of school children who can speak Welsh. All that happened was that the parents / guardians of the children were more accurate in 2021 than in the past when recording their children's linguistic ability. Perhaps they have now begun to realize that their children are not likely to be able to speak Welsh unless they receive a Welsh education.

In fact, the number and percentage of school-aged children recorded in the 2021 census is still too high when compared to the official data on how many children receive Welsh education. (A very small number of children who can speak Welsh attend English schools, of course, but this would not likely change the general statistics significantly).

When scrutinizing the census data for Denbighshire (and Flintshire and Wrexham as well) the same pattern is seen to be highlighted.

The difference between row E and row D in Denbighshire is 10.3% (that is, the 10% figure is too high). In Flintshire and Wrexham, the percentages stated in the census are 20.5% and 12.6% and are too high.

It seems that the true numbers and percentage of children aged 5-15 in Denbighshire who can speak Welsh has grown slightly since the last census but that growth is being hidden by the basic invalidity of the statistics found in the census which shows a fall.

Accepting the invalidity of the data for the 5-15 and 16-19 age group it is realized that the apparent significant reduction noted in the table below between the percentage of these age groups and the 20-44 age group has not occurred. Nevertheless, this age experienced a decrease of 300 individuals between 2011 and 2021.

From a critical scrutiny of the statistics it can be seen that there was no real major fall in the numbers and percentages of Welsh speakers in Denbighshire in general between 2011 and 2021 as that apparent fall has mostly occurred due to the change in the numbers and percentages and recorded within the 3-19 age groups (1,110 out of 1,290) which, as noted, is an invalid statistic.

After the 45+ age period, the numbers of Welsh speakers remain relatively constant although they are a smaller percentage of the age groups, most likely due to demographic change with non-Welsh speaking older people moving to the county.

Work on updating the statistics takes place continuously in the Welsh Language Profile (external website) by Menter Iaith Sir Ddinbych.