Applicability: Person
Type: Standard variable
Overview
The main language variable has three classifications that can be used when analysing Census 2021 data.
When data are sorted, we group categories about the same topic together into a variable. A group of categories is called a “classification.” There can be more than one classification about the same topic and each one is different. You should choose the one that is the most suitable for your research and analysis.
Main language classification
Mnemonic: main_language
Total number of categories: 552
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 01201 | French |
| 01202 | Portuguese |
| 01203 | Spanish |
| 01401 | Russian |
| 02001 | Arabic |
| 12006 | Egyptian Arabic |
| 12007 | Yemeni Arabic |
| 12008 | Iraqi Arabic |
| 12009 | Syrian Arabic |
| 12010 | Lebanese Arabic |
| 12002 | Maghrebi Arabic |
| 12003 | Sudanese Arabic |
| 12004 | Shuwa/Chad Arabic |
| 12005 | Hassaniyya |
| 12101 | Berber/Tamazight |
| 12102 | Tamasheq |
| 12190 | Berber (Not otherwise specified) |
| 12301 | Beja/Bedawi |
| 13201 | Nobiin |
| 13202 | Kenuzi Dongola |
| 21101 | Afrikaans |
| 22001 | Amharic |
| 22002 | Tigre |
| 22003 | Tigrinya |
| 22201 | Hausa |
| 22202 | Bata/Gbwata |
| 22203 | Tangale |
| 22301 | Afar-Saho |
| 22302 | Bilen |
| 22303 | Maay |
| 22304 | Oromo |
| 22305 | Rendille |
| 22307 | Somali |
| 22401 | Wolaytta |
| 23001 | Lugbara |
| 23002 | Mangbetu |
| 23003 | Madi |
| 23101 | Dinka/Jieng |
| 23102 | Nuer/Naadh |
| 23103 | Shilluk/Cholo |
| 23104 | Acholi |
| 23105 | Lango (Uganda) |
| 23106 | Adhola |
| 23107 | Luo/Dholuo |
| 23108 | Alur |
| 23109 | Kalenjin |
| 23110 | Maasai |
| 23111 | Teso |
| 23112 | Bari-Pojulu |
| 23113 | Kakwa |
| 23190 | Lwo (Not otherwise specified) |
| 23301 | Kanuri |
| 23401 | Songhai |
| 23901 | Nama |
| 24001 | Manding/Mandenkan |
| 24002 | Manding (Bamana) |
| 24003 | Manding (Dyula) |
| 24004 | Kuranko |
| 24005 | Vai |
| 24006 | Kono |
| 24007 | Susu |
| 24008 | Mende |
| 24009 | Kpelle |
| 24010 | Soninke |
| 24011 | Loko |
| 24101 | Fula |
| 24102 | Wolof |
| 24103 | Balanta |
| 24104 | Diola-Fonyi |
| 24105 | Limba/Yimba |
| 24106 | Temne |
| 24107 | Kisi (West Africa) |
| 24201 | Bassa (Liberia) |
| 24202 | Klao |
| 24203 | Grebo |
| 24204 | Krumen |
| 24205 | Krahn |
| 24206 | Guere |
| 24207 | Bete |
| 24299 | Kru (Not otherwise specified) |
| 24301 | Moore |
| 24302 | Gurenne |
| 24303 | Dagaare |
| 24304 | Birifor |
| 24305 | Wali |
| 24306 | Dagbani |
| 24307 | Mampruli |
| 24308 | Kusaal |
| 24309 | Buli (Ghana) |
| 24310 | Gourmanchema |
| 24311 | Bimoba |
| 24312 | Baatonum |
| 24313 | Kabiye |
| 24314 | Kasem |
| 24401 | Zande |
| 24402 | Gbaya |
| 24403 | Ngbaka |
| 24404 | Banda |
| 24405 | Sango |
| 24406 | Mbum |
| 24407 | Ebuna |
| 24501 | Izon |
| 24502 | Kalabari Ijo |
| 24503 | Kirike |
| 24504 | Ibani |
| 24505 | Nembe Ijo |
| 24590 | Ijo (Not otherwise specified) |
| 24601 | Anyi-Baoulé |
| 24604 | Nzema |
| 24605 | Ahanta |
| 24606 | Akan |
| 24607 | Awutu |
| 24608 | Gonja |
| 24609 | Ga |
| 24610 | Adangme |
| 24611 | Ewe |
| 24612 | Fon |
| 24614 | Ikposo |
| 24701 | Yoruba |
| 24702 | Itsekiri |
| 24703 | Igala |
| 24704 | Nupe |
| 24705 | Gbagyi |
| 24706 | Ebira |
| 24707 | Idoma |
| 24708 | Igede |
| 24709 | Edo/Bini |
| 24710 | Esan |
| 24711 | Urhobo |
| 24712 | Isoko |
| 24713 | Igbo |
| 24714 | Ikwere |
| 24715 | Ekpeye |
| 24716 | Emai-luleha-Ora |
| 24717 | Yekhee |
| 24790 | Igara (Not otherwise specified) |
| 24801 | Efik-Ibibio |
| 24802 | Khana |
| 24803 | Gokana |
| 24804 | Eleme |
| 24805 | Ogbia |
| 24806 | Oring |
| 24807 | Kukele |
| 24808 | Kuche |
| 24809 | Jju |
| 24810 | Tyap |
| 24811 | Ekit |
| 24812 | Abua |
| 24813 | Odual |
| 24814 | Olulumo-Ikom |
| 24815 | Eggon |
| 24890 | Ogoni |
| 24901 | Tiv |
| 24902 | Lamnso |
| 24903 | Bamileke |
| 24904 | Mungaka |
| 24905 | Duala |
| 24906 | Basaa |
| 24907 | Ewondo |
| 24908 | Bulu |
| 24909 | Fang |
| 24910 | Lingala |
| 24911 | Lusengo |
| 24912 | Teke |
| 24913 | Kituba |
| 24914 | Kikongo |
| 24915 | Kimbundu |
| 24916 | Umbundu |
| 24917 | Ambo/Oshiwambo |
| 24918 | Herero |
| 24919 | Luyana |
| 24920 | Luvale |
| 24921 | Chokwe |
| 24922 | Ruund |
| 24923 | Chilunda |
| 24924 | Luba |
| 24925 | Kaonde |
| 24926 | Bemba |
| 24927 | Lamba |
| 24928 | Chitonga |
| 24929 | Gusii |
| 24930 | Gikuyu |
| 24931 | Kiembu |
| 24932 | Kimeru |
| 24933 | Kikamba |
| 24934 | Chaga |
| 24935 | Namwanga |
| 24936 | Kirundi |
| 24937 | Kinyarwanda |
| 24938 | Haya |
| 24939 | Runyakitara |
| 24940 | Luganda |
| 24941 | Lusoga |
| 24942 | Lugwere |
| 24944 | Masaba/Lugisu |
| 24945 | Luhya |
| 24946 | Kisukuma |
| 24947 | Kinyamwezi |
| 24948 | Gogo |
| 24949 | Mambwe-Lungu |
| 24950 | Swahili/Kiswahili |
| 24951 | Comorian |
| 24952 | Chingoni |
| 24953 | Chiyao |
| 24954 | Makonde |
| 24955 | Nyakyusa-Ngonde |
| 24956 | Tumbuka |
| 24957 | Chichewa/Nyanja |
| 24958 | Nsenga |
| 24959 | Sena |
| 24960 | Makua |
| 24961 | Shona |
| 24962 | Nambya |
| 24963 | Venda |
| 24964 | Tsonga |
| 24965 | Lozi |
| 24966 | Sotho/Sesotho |
| 24967 | Sotho (Northern) |
| 24968 | Setswana |
| 24969 | Ndebele (Zimbabwe) |
| 24970 | Ndebele (South Africa) |
| 24971 | Xhosa |
| 24972 | Siswati |
| 24973 | Zulu |
| 24990 | Ndebele (Not otherwise specified) |
| 24991 | Sotho (Not otherwise specified) |
| 24992 | Ngoni |
| 24993 | Konde |
| 24994 | Lunyole |
| 24995 | Nyole |
| 27401 | Malagasy |
| 29001 | Krio |
| 29002 | Nigerian Pidgin |
| 29003 | Kamtok |
| 29004 | Liberian English |
| 29005 | Pichinglis |
| 29090 | West African Creole English |
| 29101 | Morisyen |
| 29102 | Seselwa Creole |
| 29201 | Kabuverdianu |
| 29203 | Angolar |
| 29401 | Bassa (Not otherwise specified) |
| 29402 | Bini (Not otherwise specified) |
| 29403 | Egbema |
| 29903 | Ganda |
| 29905 | Ngola |
| 30201 | Japanese |
| 30202 | Okinawan |
| 30301 | Korean |
| 30401 | Mongolian |
| 30501 | Uyghur |
| 35201 | Wa-Paraok |
| 35301 | Cambodian/Khmer |
| 35401 | Vietnamese |
| 36001 | Tibetan |
| 36301 | Jingpho |
| 36401 | Burmese |
| 36402 | Arakanese |
| 36501 | Karen (S'gaw) |
| 36599 | Karen (Not otherwise specified) |
| 36601 | Mandarin Chinese |
| 36602 | Cantonese |
| 36603 | Gan Chinese |
| 36604 | Hakka |
| 36605 | Yi |
| 36608 | Min Dong Chinese |
| 36609 | Min Nan Chinese |
| 36611 | Pu-Xian Chinese |
| 36612 | Wu Chinese |
| 36613 | Xiang Chinese |
| 36614 | Dungan |
| 36699 | Chinese (Not otherwise specified) |
| 37001 | Malay |
| 37002 | Indonesian Malay |
| 37003 | Achehnese |
| 37005 | Iban |
| 37006 | Sunda |
| 37007 | Balinese |
| 37008 | Madura |
| 37101 | Bikol |
| 37102 | Cebuano |
| 37103 | Hiligaynon |
| 37104 | Waraynon |
| 37105 | Ilocano |
| 37106 | Maguindanao |
| 37107 | Maranao |
| 37108 | Pampangan |
| 37109 | Pangasinan |
| 37110 | Tagalog/Filipino |
| 37190 | Bisayan (Not otherwise specified) |
| 37199 | Philippine (Not otherwise specified) |
| 37501 | Javanese |
| 37505 | Toba Batak |
| 37510 | Bugis |
| 37511 | Makasar |
| 37520 | Tetun |
| 37802 | Hmong Njua |
| 37805 | Iu Mien |
| 37807 | Kim Mun |
| 37890 | Hmong (Not otherwise specified) |
| 37891 | Mien (Not otherwise specified) |
| 37901 | Thai |
| 37902 | Lao |
| 37903 | Isan |
| 37904 | Shan |
| 37911 | Zhuang (Southern) |
| 37990 | Zhuang (Not otherwise specified) |
| 39301 | Chavacano |
| 40101 | Tamil |
| 40102 | Malayalam |
| 40103 | Kannada |
| 40104 | Telugu |
| 40105 | Tulu |
| 40106 | Kodava |
| 40107 | Gondi |
| 40108 | Duruwa/Parji |
| 40110 | Brahui |
| 40801 | Burushaski |
| 41801 | Balochi |
| 41901 | Khowar |
| 41902 | Kohistani |
| 41903 | Kashmiri |
| 41904 | Nepalese |
| 41905 | Kumaoni |
| 41906 | Garhwali |
| 41907 | Mandeali |
| 41908 | Bhadrawahi |
| 41911 | Chambeali |
| 41912 | Kulu Pahari |
| 41913 | Jaunsari |
| 41914 | Churahi |
| 41915 | Gaddi |
| 41916 | Bhateali |
| 41918 | Dogri |
| 41919 | Kangri |
| 41920 | Hindko |
| 41921 | Saraiki |
| 41922 | Mirpuri |
| 41923 | Potwari |
| 41924 | Panjabi (Pakistan) |
| 41925 | Panjabi (India) |
| 41926 | Urdu |
| 41927 | Hindi |
| 41928 | Bhojpuri |
| 41929 | Maithili |
| 41930 | Magahi |
| 41931 | Chhattisgarhi |
| 41932 | Rajasthani |
| 41933 | Sindhi |
| 41934 | Kachchi |
| 41935 | Gujarati |
| 41936 | Saurashtra |
| 41938 | Marathi |
| 41939 | Konkani |
| 41940 | Bengali |
| 41941 | Sylheti |
| 41942 | Chatgaya |
| 41943 | Assamese |
| 41944 | Oriya |
| 41945 | Sinhala |
| 41946 | Maldivian |
| 41990 | Panjabi (Not otherwise specified) |
| 41991 | Bihari |
| 41993 | Pahari (Pakistan) |
| 41994 | Pahari (Not otherwise specified) |
| 44201 | English (English or Welsh in Wales) |
| 45001 | Santali |
| 45002 | Ho |
| 45003 | Mundari |
| 45004 | Kharia |
| 45005 | Sora-Juray |
| 45006 | Korku |
| 45099 | Munda |
| 45101 | Khasi |
| 46001 | Dzongkha |
| 46002 | Sikkimese |
| 46003 | Sherpa |
| 46004 | Ladakhi |
| 46005 | Balti Tibetan |
| 46101 | Newar |
| 46102 | Limbu |
| 46201 | Meitei |
| 50501 | Turkish |
| 50502 | Azeri |
| 50503 | Turkmen |
| 50504 | Uzbek |
| 50505 | Kazakh |
| 50506 | Kirghiz |
| 50507 | Bashkir |
| 50508 | Tatar |
| 50509 | Chuvash |
| 50901 | Georgian/Kartuli |
| 50910 | Chechen |
| 50920 | Abkhaz |
| 50921 | Abaza |
| 51701 | Armenian |
| 51801 | Persian/Farsi |
| 51802 | Persian (Tajiki) |
| 51803 | Luri |
| 51804 | Gilaki |
| 51805 | Mazanderani |
| 51810 | Kurdish (Kurmanji) |
| 51811 | Kurdish (Sorani) |
| 51812 | Kurdish (Kermanshahi) |
| 51813 | Leki |
| 51814 | Gurani |
| 51815 | Zazaki |
| 51820 | Pashto |
| 51890 | Iranian |
| 51891 | Kurdish (Not otherwise specified) |
| 52003 | Hebrew |
| 52090 | Neo-Aramaic |
| 60601 | Finnish |
| 60602 | Estonian |
| 60603 | Saami |
| 60604 | Erzya |
| 60606 | Komi |
| 60610 | Hungarian |
| 60701 | Basque/Euskara |
| 61001 | Welsh/Cymraeg (in England only) |
| 61002 | Cornish |
| 61003 | Breton |
| 61004 | Gaelic (Irish) |
| 61005 | Gaelic (Scottish) |
| 61006 | Manx Gaelic |
| 61090 | Gaelic (Not otherwise specified) |
| 61101 | German |
| 61102 | Swiss German |
| 61103 | Luxembourgish |
| 61104 | Yiddish |
| 61105 | Dutch |
| 61106 | Frisian |
| 61107 | Scots |
| 61108 | Ulster Scots |
| 61110 | Icelandic |
| 61111 | Faroese |
| 61112 | Norwegian |
| 61113 | Danish |
| 61114 | Swedish |
| 61115 | Alemanic |
| 61201 | Italian |
| 61205 | Corsican |
| 61206 | Galician |
| 61207 | Catalan |
| 61208 | Occitan |
| 61210 | Rhaeto-Romance |
| 61215 | Romanian |
| 61220 | Chamorro |
| 61221 | Esperanto |
| 61222 | Northern Sami |
| 61223 | Ossetian |
| 61224 | Tahitian |
| 61301 | Latvian |
| 61302 | Lithuanian |
| 61401 | Ukrainian |
| 61402 | Belarusian |
| 61403 | Czech |
| 61404 | Slovak |
| 61405 | Polish |
| 61406 | Kashubian |
| 61409 | Slovenian |
| 61411 | Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian and Montenegrin |
| 61414 | Bulgarian |
| 61490 | Serbo-Croat (Not otherwise specified) |
| 61491 | Yugoslav |
| 61501 | Albanian (Tosk) |
| 61502 | Albanian (Gheg/Kosovan) |
| 61504 | Arberesh |
| 61590 | Albanian (Not otherwise specified) |
| 61601 | Greek |
| 61901 | Romani |
| 61990 | Romany (Not otherwise specified) |
| 62001 | Maltese |
| 69501 | Romany English |
| 69502 | Irish Traveller Cant |
| 69801 | British Sign Language |
| 69802 | Irish Sign Language |
| 69803 | Sign-Supported English |
| 69805 | Deaf-Blind Manual Alphabet |
| 69806 | Makaton |
| 69807 | Paget-Gorman Signs |
| 69808 | Cued Speech |
| 78001 | Nahuatl |
| 78103 | Chol |
| 78107 | Mam |
| 78108 | Kekchi |
| 78190 | Maya |
| 78201 | Quechua |
| 78301 | Aymara |
| 78401 | Guarani |
| 78501 | Cree |
| 78503 | Garifuna |
| 78504 | Carib/Kalinya |
| 78801 | Navajo |
| 78901 | Inuktitut |
| 78902 | Kalaallisut |
| 79001 | Bahamian Creole |
| 79002 | Gullah |
| 79003 | Leeward Islands Creole |
| 79004 | Bajan |
| 79005 | Windward Islands Creole |
| 79006 | Trinidad and Tobago Creole |
| 79007 | Guyanese Creole |
| 79008 | Sranan |
| 79009 | Jamaican |
| 79010 | Belizean Kriol |
| 79090 | Caribbean Creole English (Not otherwise specified) |
| 79101 | Haitian Creole |
| 79103 | Dominica/Saint Lucia Creole |
| 79104 | Guyanais |
| 79190 | Caribbean Creole French (Not otherwise specified) |
| 79301 | Papiamentu |
| 85901 | Arrernte |
| 85903 | Kalaw Lagaw Ya |
| 85905 | Pitjantjatjara |
| 85906 | Tiwi |
| 87201 | Fijian |
| 87202 | Maori |
| 87203 | Samoan |
| 87204 | Tuvaluan |
| 87205 | Tongan |
| 87301 | Kiribati |
| 87302 | Marshallese/Ebon |
| 87303 | Nauruan |
| 87501 | Palauan |
| 89001 | Tok Pisin |
| 89002 | Bislama |
| 89003 | Pijin |
| 89005 | Australian Kriol |
| 89006 | Hawaii Creole |
| 89301 | Hiri Motu |
| 99090 | English Creole (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99091 | English Pidgin (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99190 | French Creole (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99290 | Portuguese Creole (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99390 | Creole (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99391 | Pidgin (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99801 | International Sign Language |
| 99890 | Other Sign Language |
| 99899 | Sign Language (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99901 | Tonga (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99902 | Bari (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99903 | Batta (Not otherwise specified) |
| 99904 | Buna |
| 99905 | Khasa |
| 99906 | Memoni |
| 99907 | Zaghawa |
| 99908 | Mizo |
| 99909 | Liturgical languages |
| 99910 | Artificial languages |
| 99999 | Any Other language |
| -8 | Does not apply* |
*Students and schoolchildren living away during term-time, and children aged 2 years and under.
Main language classification 23a
Mnemonic: main_language_23a
Total number of categories: 23
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | English (English or Welsh in Wales) |
| 2 | Welsh/Cymraeg (in England only) |
| 3 | Any other UK languages |
| 4 | French |
| 5 | Portuguese |
| 6 | Spanish |
| 7 | Other European languages (EU and non-EU): Serbian, Croatian or Bosnian |
| 8 | Any other European languages (EU) |
| 9 | Any other European languages (Non-EU) |
| 10 | Romani, Romany or Yiddish |
| 11 | Russian |
| 12 | Turkish |
| 13 | Arabic |
| 14 | West or Central Asian languages |
| 15 | South Asian languages |
| 16 | East Asian languages |
| 17 | Oceanic or Australian languages |
| 18 | North or South American languages |
| 19 | Caribbean Creole languages |
| 20 | African languages |
| 21 | Sign and supported languages |
| 22 | Any other languages |
| -8 | Does not apply* |
*Students and schoolchildren living away during term-time, and children aged 2 years and under.
Main language classification 11a
Mnemonic: main_language_11a
Total number of categories: 11
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | English or Welsh |
| 2 | Any other UK languages |
| 3 | European languages (EU) |
| 4 | Other European languages (non-EU) |
| 5 | Asian languages |
| 6 | Oceanic or Australian languages |
| 7 | North or South American languages |
| 8 | African languages |
| 9 | Sign and supported languages |
| 10 | Any other languages |
| -8 | Does not apply* |
*Students and schoolchildren living away during term-time, and children aged 2 years and under.