By Lauren Grice
Polish is now the second language of England and Wales, new data from the 2011 Census has revealed.
Four million people reported speaking a different main language to English or Welsh, although the majority of these were also able to speak English proficiently.
After Polish, Panjabi and Urdu were the most reported main languages, with nearly 300,000 speakers in each group. In addition, nearly 140,000 residents said they could speak no English at all.
Geographical differences were also recorded, with London dominating the areas in which different languages are spoken.
The number of married couples fell over the past ten years, from 50 per cent in 2001 to 44 per cent in 2011, while the amount of single parents and people co-habiting rose slightly.
Student numbers received a boost, with the latest data showing a two per cent increase in 2011 at seven per cent – up from the five per cent recorded in 2001.
Brits seemed to be positive about their health prospects, with 81 per cent describing their health as “good” or “very good”.
However, the most favourable results in this category were recorded in London and the south-east, while Wales and the north-east scored the lowest.
