Applicability: Person
Type: Derived variable
Overview
The main language (detailed) 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 (detailed) classification
Mnemonic: main_language_detailed
Total number of categories: 95
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | English (English or Welsh in Wales) |
| 2 | Welsh or Cymraeg (in England only) |
| 3 | Other UK language: Gaelic (Irish) |
| 4 | Other UK language: Gaelic (Scottish) |
| 5 | Other UK language: Manx Gaelic |
| 6 | Other UK language: Gaelic (Not otherwise specified) |
| 7 | Other UK language: Cornish |
| 8 | Other UK language: Scots |
| 9 | Other UK language: Ulster Scots |
| 10 | Other UK language: Romany English |
| 11 | Other UK language: Irish Traveller Cant |
| 12 | French |
| 13 | Portuguese |
| 14 | Spanish |
| 15 | Other European language (EU): Italian |
| 16 | Other European language (EU): German |
| 17 | Other European language (EU): Polish |
| 18 | Other European language (EU): Slovak |
| 19 | Other European language (EU): Czech |
| 20 | Other European language (EU): Romanian |
| 21 | Other European language (EU): Lithuanian |
| 22 | Other European language (EU): Latvian |
| 23 | Other European language (EU): Hungarian |
| 24 | Other European language (EU): Bulgarian |
| 25 | Other European language (EU): Greek |
| 26 | Other European language (EU): Dutch |
| 27 | Other European language (EU): Swedish |
| 28 | Other European language (EU): Danish |
| 29 | Other European language (EU): Finnish |
| 30 | Other European language (EU): Estonian |
| 31 | Other European language (EU): Slovenian |
| 32 | Other European language (EU): Maltese |
| 33 | Other European language (EU): Any other European language (EU) |
| 34 | Other European language (non EU): Albanian |
| 35 | Other European language (non EU): Ukrainian |
| 36 | Other European language (non EU): Any other Eastern European language (non EU) |
| 37 | Other European language (non EU): Northern European language (non EU) |
| 38 | Other European language (EU and non-EU): Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and Montenegrin |
| 39 | Other European language (non-national): Any Romani language |
| 40 | Other European language (non-national): Yiddish |
| 41 | Russian |
| 42 | Turkish |
| 43 | Arabic |
| 44 | West or Central Asian language: Hebrew |
| 45 | West or Central Asian language: Kurdish |
| 46 | West or Central Asian language: Persian or Farsi |
| 47 | West or Central Asian language: Pashto |
| 48 | West or Central Asian language: Any other West or Central Asian language |
| 49 | South Asian language: Urdu |
| 50 | South Asian language: Hindi |
| 51 | South Asian language: Panjabi |
| 52 | South Asian language: Pakistani Pahari (with Mirpuri and Potwari) |
| 53 | South Asian language: Bengali (with Sylheti and Chatgaya) |
| 54 | South Asian language: Gujarati |
| 55 | South Asian language: Marathi |
| 56 | South Asian language: Telugu |
| 57 | South Asian language: Tamil |
| 58 | South Asian language: Malayalam |
| 59 | South Asian language: Sinhala |
| 60 | South Asian language: Nepalese |
| 61 | South Asian language: Any other South Asian language |
| 62 | East Asian language: Mandarin Chinese |
| 63 | East Asian language: Cantonese Chinese |
| 64 | East Asian language: All other Chinese |
| 65 | East Asian language: Japanese |
| 66 | East Asian language: Korean |
| 67 | East Asian language: Vietnamese |
| 68 | East Asian language: Thai |
| 69 | East Asian language: Malay |
| 70 | East Asian language: Tagalog or Filipino |
| 71 | East Asian language: Any other East Asian language |
| 72 | Oceanic or Australian language |
| 73 | North or South American language |
| 74 | Caribbean Creole: English-based Caribbean Creole |
| 75 | Caribbean Creole: Any other Caribbean Creole |
| 76 | African language: Amharic |
| 77 | African language: Tigrinya |
| 78 | African language: Somali |
| 79 | African language: Krio |
| 80 | African language: Akan |
| 81 | African language: Yoruba |
| 82 | African language: Igbo |
| 83 | African language: Swahili or Kiswahili |
| 84 | African language: Luganda |
| 85 | African language: Lingala |
| 86 | African language: Shona |
| 87 | African language: Afrikaans |
| 88 | African language: Any other Nigerian language |
| 89 | African language: Any other West African language |
| 90 | African language: Any other African language |
| 91 | Sign language: British Sign Language |
| 92 | Sign language: Any other sign language |
| 93 | Sign language: Any sign communication system |
| 94 | Other language |
| -8 | Does not apply* |
*Students and schoolchildren living away during term-time, and children aged 2 years and under.
Main language (detailed) classification 26a
Mnemonic: main_language_detailed_26a
Total number of categories: 26
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | English (English or Welsh if in Wales) |
| 2 | Any other UK languages |
| 3 | French |
| 4 | Portuguese |
| 5 | Spanish |
| 6 | Other European language (EU): Polish |
| 7 | Other European language (EU): Any other European languages |
| 8 | European languages (non-EU) |
| 9 | Russian |
| 10 | Turkish |
| 11 | Arabic |
| 12 | West or Central Asian languages |
| 13 | South Asian language: Panjabi |
| 14 | South Asian language: Urdu |
| 15 | South Asian language: Bengali (with Sylheti and Chatgaya) |
| 16 | South Asian language: Gujarati |
| 17 | South Asian language: Tamil |
| 18 | South Asian language: Any other South Asian languages |
| 19 | East Asian language: Mandarin, Cantonese and other Chinese languages |
| 20 | East Asian language: Any other East Asian languages |
| 21 | African languages |
| 22 | Sign language: British Sign Language |
| 23 | Sign language: Any other sign language |
| 24 | Sign language: Any sign communication system |
| 25 | Any other languages |
| -8 | Does not apply* |
*Students and schoolchildren living away during term-time, and children aged 2 years and under.
Main language (detailed) classification 23a
Mnemonic: main_language_detailed_23a
Total number of categories: 23
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | English (English or Welsh if in Wales) |
| 2 | Any other UK languages |
| 3 | French |
| 4 | Portuguese |
| 5 | Spanish |
| 6 | Other European language (EU): Polish |
| 7 | Other European language (EU): Any other European languages |
| 8 | Other European languages (non-EU) |
| 9 | Russian |
| 10 | Turkish |
| 11 | Arabic |
| 12 | West or Central Asian languages |
| 13 | South Asian language: Panjabi |
| 14 | South Asian language: Urdu |
| 15 | South Asian language: Bengali (with Sylheti and Chatgaya) |
| 16 | South Asian language: Gujarati |
| 17 | South Asian language: Tamil |
| 18 | South Asian language: Any other South Asian languages |
| 19 | East Asian language: Mandarin, Cantonese and other Chinese languages |
| 20 | East Asian language: Any other East Asian languages |
| 21 | African languages |
| 22 | Any other languages (including sign and supported languages) |
| -8 | Does not apply* |
*Students and schoolchildren living away during term-time, and children aged 2 years and under.