THE number of fluent Welsh speakers in Newport has not increased for more than ten years, a new study has shown.

A report by the Welsh Government published yesterday, Thursday, has shown 1,300 people in Newport could speak the language fluently between 2013 and 2015 – exactly the same number as between 2013 and 2015.

But the number of those who could speak Welsh but did not consider themselves fluent did increase by 62 per cent from 8,200 to 13,300.

Elsewhere in Gwent the number of fluent Welsh speakers in Caerphilly increased slightly from 5,900 to 6,800, but those speaking the language non-fluently rocketed by 150 per cent from 5,800 in 2004-2006 to 14,600 in 2013-2015.

Torfaen also saw the number of fluent speakers increase from 1,600 to 2,400 and non-fluent Welsh users rise from 5,700 to 8,000. There were 1,500 fluent Welsh speakers in Monmouthshire in 2013-2015, compared with 1,100 ten years earlier, while the number of non-fluent speakers increased from 7,300 to 10,600.

There was no increase in fluent Welsh speakers in Blaenau Gwent, which stayed at 900 across the ten-year period, while non-fluent users rose slightly from 5,200 to 5,600.

Wales’ first minister Carwyn Jones said there was “a lot to be positive about” in the findings. 

“This is a crucial time for the language,” he said. “As a government we remain determined to address the challenges it faces, ensuring that the language has a thriving and secure future across Wales.

“We must not become complacent.”

He said one of the most important drivers towards increasing overall use of the language was encouraging people to speak Welsh in their everyday lives.

“It is crucial that people have the opportunity to practice their Welsh and boost their confidence levels – be it in education, in the workplace or socially,” he said.

“There is already a great deal of good work underway across Wales which reinforces our policy vision of focussing on increasing use as well as numbers of Welsh speakers.

“By working together we can build on this and ensure a living language both today and for future generations.”

Across Wales as a whole the number of fluent Welsh speakers has stayed roughly the same while the number of those who speak the language to some degree was up by 130,700. As a result, the proportion of all those who speak some Welsh who describe themselves as fluent has dropped from 58 per cent in 2004-2006 to around half.

Welsh Language commissioner Meri Hews said the findings of the survey would provide the grounding of a report she was putting together on the position of the language, to be published next year.

The report also found slightly more than half of all Welsh speakers use the language on a daily basis, while almost one in five use it once a week. 

To view the full report visit gov.wales.