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TV in your language
Between them, the 18 languages below are the main language of 3,721,559 people in England and Wales. Each guide covers the channels people ask for, the sport, the time difference and the official ways to watch.
Facts checked 13 Oct 2026Telly Hub TV editors
| # | Language | Speakers | Share | Most in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polish polski | 611,845 | 1.1% | Ealing |
| 2 | Romanian română | 471,954 | 0.8% | Harrow |
| 3 | Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ / پنجابی | 290,745 | 0.5% | Sandwell |
| 4 | Urdu اردو | 269,849 | 0.5% | Birmingham |
| 5 | Portuguese português | 224,719 | 0.4% | Lambeth |
| 6 | Spanish español | 215,062 | 0.4% | Southwark |
| 7 | Chinese 中文 | 204,646 | 0.4% | Manchester |
| 8 | Arabic العربية | 203,998 | 0.4% | Birmingham |
| 9 | Bengali বাংলা | 199,495 | 0.3% | Tower Hamlets |
| 10 | Gujarati ગુજરાતી | 188,956 | 0.3% | Leicester |
| 11 | Italian italiano | 160,010 | 0.3% | Tower Hamlets |
| 12 | Tamil தமிழ் | 125,363 | 0.2% | Harrow |
| 13 | Lithuanian lietuvių | 119,656 | 0.2% | Peterborough |
| 14 | Turkish Türkçe | 112,978 | 0.2% | Enfield |
| 15 | Bulgarian български | 111,431 | 0.2% | Enfield |
| 16 | Persian (Farsi) فارسی | 87,713 | 0.2% | Barnet |
| 17 | Somali Soomaali | 62,240 | 0.1% | Birmingham |
| 18 | Tagalog (Filipino) Tagalog | 60,899 | 0.1% | Brent |
Main language of residents aged three and over, England and Wales, Census Day 21 March 2021. Chinese adds Cantonese, Mandarin and other Chinese; Bengali includes Sylheti and Chatgaya.
More questions
Which language is most spoken after English in England and Wales?
Polish, with 611,845 people giving it as their main language in 2021, then Romanian and Punjabi.
Do these figures count everyone who speaks the language?
No. The census asked for each person’s main language. Someone fluent in Urdu who mostly speaks English at home is counted under English, so these numbers are a floor.
Why are Scotland and Northern Ireland missing?
They ran their own censuses with different questions and dates, so their language figures do not line up with the England and Wales table.
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