The UK’s primary language is of course English, and has been for many hundreds of years. The tongue has evolved as many different peoples, such as the Romans, Angles, Vikings and Normans, made the British Isles their home. It is classified by experts as Germanic, with its core grammar and a large portion of its basic vocabulary originating from Proto-Germanic, the common ancestor of German, Dutch, and Scandinavian languages. However, English is not the only dialect heard in the UK.
Celtic languages remain, including Welsh and Scottish Gaelic, which are still spoken primarily in the north west of both countries. There are also people speaking and writing Manx on the Isle of Man. These are thought to date from before the Roman occupation of Britain. Across the border in Ireland, Irish is spoken still. In France, Breton is heard in Brittany. Amazing Maps outlined data from 2011 and 2007 in 2023. But more modern data suggests some positive change for the UK’s non-English languages.
Breakdown of older data
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Welsh: 562,000 speakers (2011) – 19.0% of Wales population
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Breton: 210,000 speakers (2007) – 6.7% of Brittany’s population
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Irish: 94,000 regular speakers (2011) – 1.5% of Ireland (including NI) population
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Scottish Gaelic: 57,000 speakers (2011) – 1.1% of Scotland’s population
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Manx: Extinct (1975) – 1,650 revival speakers – 1.9% of Isle of Man’s population
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Cornish: Extinct (1800) – few hundred revival speakers – less than 1% of Cornwall’s population
The 2021 Census in Scotland found that 2.5% of people aged three and over had some Gaelic skills, which represented a small increase from 2011.
The survey also revealed that there was a rise in the number of people understanding Gaelic.
Although, this did not necessarily mean they spoke, read, or wrote it.
The England and Wales Census that same year asked people if their main language was anything other than English or Welsh.
Therefore, it is not possible to determine how many people in Wales consider Welsh to be their main language, researchers said.
The Welsh government reported this week that, for the year ending December 31, 2024, it was estimated that 27.4% of people aged three years and over were able to speak Welsh.
The Scottish Parliament says that there were 87,000 people with any Gaelic language skills in 2011, and this had increased to 130,000 by 2022.
Anglia Ruskin University said in January that it is estimated there are now around 500 fluent Cornish speakers, plus thousands more who can speak basic Cornish.
The 2021 Census showed about 2,200 people out of 84,069 living on the Isle of Man were able to speak, read or write Manx language.
In January, it was reported that around 107,000 people speak Breton in Brittany, and the average age has decreased .
