The Department of Culture and Linguistic Policy of the Basque Government VII of the Basque Country. He presented the data of the Sociolinguistic Survey today. The Minister of Culture and Linguistic Policy Bingen Zupiria and the Deputy Minister of Linguistic Policy Miren Dobaran participated in the press conference held in Tabakalera, Donostia.

The Sociolinguistic Survey carried out in 2021 is based on the recognized data of citizens, and since the first Sociolinguistic Survey dates back to 1991, today's press conference served to clarify the trajectory of the Basque language in the Basque Country over the past three decades. The population of the Basque Country aged 16 or over is the respondent. The sociolinguistic survey is carried out every five years, and includes four research areas:

1. Language skills of citizens
2. Language transmission
3. The use of Basque in various settings (at home, with friends, in formal areas...)
4. Position on the promotion of the Basque language

There are 261,000 more Basque speakers in the Basque Country today than 30 years ago, in 1991, which means that the number of Basque speakers has increased by 12 points in the last 30 years (from 24.1 to 36.2). Today, 36.2% of the population over the age of 16 are Basque speakers, 18.6% are Basque speakers and 45.3% are Spanish speakers.

In terms or gender, 36,5% of women are Basque and 35,8% of men

VII. The sociolinguistic survey clearly shows that the profile of the Basque speaker has become younger in the last thirty years. The highest percentage of Basque speakers is among young people aged 16-24. In fact, 74.5% of the 16 to 24 year olds speak Basque, while in 1991 it was 25%. Minister Zupiria has stated that "the best data that could exist in the revitalization of any minority language is that the younger generation knows Basque. Language substitution is one of the main indicators of what is being revolutionized". 30 years ago, the age group that was the most Basque-speaking, the over 65s, today has the lowest knowledge of Basque (22.1% Basque-speaking).

Zupiria explained that "the growth of the Basque language is spreading from the young, and many of today's Basque speakers have received Basque through the education system or through Basque schools. The influence of the school and the Basque learning of adults is clearly felt in these data. All this is also an indicator of a strong bet that society has made in the last three decades".

General increase

VII. As the Sociolinguistic Survey indicates, the increase of Basque speakers has occurred in three territories. Gipuzkoa has the most Basque speakers: 51.8% (in a decade, with an increase of 2 points); followed by Bizkaia (30.6%; with an increase of 5 points) and then Araba (22.4%; with an increase of 6 points).

Focusing on the group of Basque speakers, more than half of Basque speakers in the EAE (55.4%) live in Spanish-speaking or relatively Spanish-speaking sociolinguistic areas, that is, in the first and second sociolinguistic areas (Sestao, Barakaldo, Irun...). And on the other hand, in Basque-speaking areas, 44.7% in the third and fourth sociolinguistic areas.