The number of Euskaldunes in UEMA ranges from 63% to 100%, so to conduct a differentiated study, the Commonwealth has taken from the total sample of the Sociolinguistic Survey the surveys conducted in municipalities that have this level of knowledge of the Basque Country.

With these data, the UEMA has now published an investigation, according to Arantxa Iraola in Berria, which indicates signs of decline of the Basque Country in the municipalities. In the most Basque municipalities there are two groups: the so-called third socio-linguistic nucleus, which knows Euskera from 63% to 80% and the fourth, where 80% is Euskaldun. In 1991 90% of Euskaldunes and now 81.9%, 8 missing points. In contrast, in the third space indicated, data have improved, increasing the number of Euskaldunes by 73.9%.

Regarding the general data of the municipalities of Euskaldunes, 76% of the population older than 16 years is Euskaldun, 8% are Basque speakers and 15% are Castilian speaking. This knowledge of 76% is similar to that of the 1990s. This means that, in general, the most Basque peoples maintain knowledge, but, unlike the rest of the Basque Country, do not manage to advance.

According to the UEMA study, “in Euskal Herria there has been a generalized decrease of those who have the Basque language as the first language, but it is especially noticeable in the municipalities of Euskaldunes”: in 1991 74% had the Basque language as the first language, nowadays it has decreased to 63%, and in the municipalities more Euskaldunes, the fourth place, the decrease is more notable.

Regarding the use, it is 58%, seven points more than 30 years ago, but here also the fourth most vulnerable area, where the use of the Basque country has regressed. And a good data for the future: young people are the ones who do the most in Euskera and those aged 50-64 are the least. Before it was the other way around, young people talked less and older people talked more in Basque.

The most positive result is in attitude, as six out of seven citizens are betting on the promotion of the Basque country. 92% of Euskaldunes show a favorable attitude and 59% of Castellanoparlantes. The opposite position is 2%. This would show that attitude is also closely related to knowledge, and that the more Basque people, the less opposed.

Importance of transmission

Garikoitz Goikoetxea, EUMA technician, stresses the importance of transmission in the interview given this Friday in Berria: “The percentage of people who have received Euskera at home is higher in the municipalities of Euskaldunes, which generates conditions of use and opportunities for use; this issue of transmission is important, as in other studies we have seen that the transmission of Euskera is higher in the environments. Many times we think that transmission is only a decision of the house, of the individuals, but it is also conditioned by the environment”.

Among the changes introduced in the respiratory zones of the Basque country, Goikoetxea points out that the new homes built in the Basque countries in the decade of 2010 attracted citizens not so Euskaldunes or Castellanoparlantes, which has repercussions in these areas: “The number or percentage of Euskaldunes has not decreased so much, but the profile of the Basque people is different now.

The linguistic evolution of UEMA remains cautious, often even with concerns, but Goikoetxea is optimistic: “In all Basque municipalities, the data from the last survey are not bad, we have a solid base: 76% are Basque”.