We have published our Annual Education Workforce Statistics for Wales 2026, providing a unique overview of the education profession across Wales.

The report draws on data from the Register of Education Practitioners and offers detailed information about the demographic profile, Welsh language skills, qualifications, employment patterns, and retention of practitioners across 13 registration categories.

As at 1 March 2026, there were 91,357 individual registrants on the Register, covering practitioners working in maintained schools, further education, work-based learning, adult learning, youth work, and independent setting settings across Wales.

The statistics show that while the overall size of the registered workforce remains stable, differences are emerging across sectors, with growth in adult learning and independent settings and slight decreases in some further education and school-based categories.

Among the key findings:

• there were 34,443 schoolteachers registered with the EWC in 2026, a decrease of 2.3% compared to 2025
• the number of adult learning practitioners increased by 15.5% compared with 2025 (328 registered in 2025)
• registrations of independent schoolteachers increased by 6.3%, while independent school learning support workers increased by 17.0%
• Welsh language skills remain broadly consistent across the workforce, with 33.8% of schoolteachers reporting that they can speak Welsh and 27.1% able to work through the medium of Welsh
• retention data continues to provide valuable insight into workforce trends, with 75.1% of schoolteachers from the 2021 cohort remaining registered five years later

The statistics also provide data showing the breadth and diversity of the education workforce in Wales, with practitioners working across multiple sectors and settings.

The Register remains the only source of data bringing together information on the full registered education workforce in Wales.

Publishing this year’s data, EWC Chief Executive, Lisa Winstone said "Our Annual Education Workforce Statistics provide an important evidence base for understanding the education workforce in Wales.

"Drawing on data from 91,357 individuals, it offers valuable insight into the people working across education, helping practitioners, employers, policymakers, and stakeholders better understand workforce trends and characteristics.

"We are pleased to make this information available and will continue to monitor changes across the sector to support informed discussion and decision-making."

The full Annual Education Workforce Statistics for Wales 2026 is available on the EWC website.