Scotland’s Census 2011: Gaelic report (Part 1)

The statistics published today by the Registrar General for Scotland on the Scotland’s Census website present details on the Gaelic language, at national, council area and civil parish level.  

Gaelic language skills

• In 2011, 87,100 people aged 3 and over in Scotland (1.7 per cent of the population) had some Gaelic language skills.
• Of these 87,100 people:
  • 32,400 (37 per cent) had full skills in Gaelic, that is could understand, speak, read and write Gaelic; 
  • 57,600 (66 per cent) could speak Gaelic;
  • 6,100 (7 per cent) were able to read and/or write but not speak Gaelic; and 
  • 23,400 (27 per cent) were able to understand Gaelic but could not speak, read or write it. 
• Highland, Eilean Siar and Glasgow City were the council areas with the largest numbers of people with some Gaelic language ability, with these three council areas containing almost half (49 per cent) of those with some Gaelic language skills nationally. 
• The proportion of people aged 3 and over with some Gaelic language skills was highest in Eilean Siar (61 per cent), Highland (7 per cent) and Argyll & Bute (6 per cent). It was 1.7 per cent in Glasgow City, the same as the national average. 
• At 50 per cent, Eilean Siar had the highest proportion (of all people with some Gaelic language skills) of those that can understand, speak, read and write Gaelic. 
• Between 2001 and 2011 there were decreases in the proportion of people who could speak Gaelic in all age groups for people aged 18 and over. For example, for people aged 65 and over the proportion fell from 1.8 per cent in 2001 to 1.5 per cent in 2011. In contrast, the proportion of people who can speak Gaelic increased slightly in younger age groups: from 0.53 per cent to 0.70 per cent for 3-4 year olds; from 0.91 per cent to 1.13 per cent for 5-11 year olds; and from 1.04 per cent to 1.10 per cent for 12-17 year olds.
• Some 41 per cent of Gaelic-speaking children aged 5 to 11 lived in households where all adults had some Gaelic language skills, 23 per cent lived in households where some (but not all) adults had some Gaelic language skills and 36 per cent lived in households where no adults had any Gaelic language skills.
• Nationally, 25,000 people aged 3 and over (0.49  per cent of the population) reported using Gaelic at home.
• Of people who were Gaelic speakers, 40 per cent reported using Gaelic at home. This proportion was 74 per cent in Eilean Siar, 41 per cent in Highland, 33 per cent in Argyll & Bute and 24 per cent in the other 29 council areas combined. 
• Of children aged 5 to 11 reported as using Gaelic at home, 61 per cent lived in households where all adults had some Gaelic language skills, 27 per cent lived in households where some (but not all) adults had some Gaelic language skills and 12 per cent lived in households where no adults had any Gaelic language skills. 

Further information

All the data associated with this report can be accessed on the Scotland’s Census website.

A Gaelic version of this report is being prepared and will be published on the Scotland’s Census website as soon as possible. 

A detailed commentary on the background tables to this report, including at council area and civil parish band levels, will be published later in the autumn, in Part 2 of this report and will be available in English and Gaelic.

A Gaelic translation of this news release is available on this website.