Most popular second languages spoken in Liverpool and the region
An interactive map has revealed the most commonly spoken second languages by residents in Merseyside. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiled data showing the languages most frequently used besides English in our area.
These findings offer a glimpse into the composition of the metropolitan county - a vast and varied conurbation made up of individuals from a range of communities and backgrounds. It also sheds light on migration and the cultural groups in our communities, with some of the largest influences coming from Saudi Arabia and Central Europe.
According to the last census, 90% of Merseyside’s population speak English as their first language. However, the remaining 10% speak a variety of languages, including:
READ MORE: Hundreds of freebies to make the city happier on Blue Monday
READ MORE: New 'village' with 1,600 homes, pubs and park could transform area
Arabic and Polish: The main languages of around 1% of the population
Portuguese, Kurdish, and Cantonese: Other languages spoken in the area
Luganda, Korean, and Danish: Spoken by a small number of people
We've rounded up the figures for Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral for the second most popular language spoken. Alongside this is the percentage of two other languages that are used by a small number in the same area.
The ONS map used data from the 2021 census for everyone in the region aged three and above.
Liverpool: Arabic (1.22%), Portuguese (0.70%), and African languages (0.39%).
Knowsley: Portuguese (0.28%), Arabic (0.14%) and Spanish (0.12%).
Sefton: EU languages, anything from Danish and Dutch to Greek and Irish, (1.14%), Polish (0.87%) and Portuguese (0.33%).
St Helens: Polish (0.61%), Arabic (0.18%) and Turkish (0.06%).
Wirral: Polish (0.31%), Arabic (0.11%) and Turkish (0.05%).