Population of UK whose main language is Chinese or Cantonese

FOI request: FOI-2026-3578

You asked

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information based on the most recent census or population survey data if available:

• The estimated total number of UK residents whose main or first language is recorded as Cantonese.
• The estimated total number of UK residents whose main or first language is recorded as Chinese (including all varieties/dialects if Cantonese is not disaggregated).

We said

Thank you for your request regarding main or first language. 

Unfortunately, we do not hold this information for the whole of the UK, as we are responsible for the census in England and Wales only. The most recent data we hold on main language is from the 2021 Census. 

In response to your request, we can provide you with the following dataset which can be found in the associated download named '2021 Census Dataset TS024 – Main language (detailed)'.

This dataset has been downloaded via the Nomis website, which is a service provided by Durham University on behalf of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). 

If you have any further queries regarding the 2021 Census or the availability of related data, please do not hesitate to contact us at census.customerservices@ons.gov.uk. 

For comparable data relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland, you will need to contact the relevant organisations directly.

Their contact details are: 

National Records of Scotland
Telephone: 0131 314 4299
Email: statisticscustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk
Website: www.nrscotland.gov.uk

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
Telephone: 02890 255156
Email: census@nisra.gov.uk
Website: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/census