Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. The city is the core of the second most populous

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

after

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and is the largest

city proper A city proper is the geographical area contained within city limits. The term ''proper'' is not exclusive to cities; it can describe the geographical area within the boundaries of any given locality. The United Nations defines the term as "the si ...

Population

Birmingham city's total population was 977,099 in 2001. The 2005 estimate for the population of the district of Birmingham was 1,001,200. This is the first time the population has broken the 1,000,000 barrier since 1996.Birmingham Demographic Briefing: 2005 Sub-National Mid-Year Population Estimate
/ref> This was a population increase of 0.9% (8,800) from 2004, higher than the 0.6% for the United Kingdom as a whole and 0.7% for England. It is believed to have been caused as a result of increased numbers of births, increased migration and a decrease in deaths in the district. The population of Birmingham is predicted to increase, though it cannot be predicted at certainty due to fluctuations in previous years in migration. The population in Birmingham is predicted to increase by 12.2% (121,500) from 992,100 in 2003 to 1,113,600 in 2028. This is an increase of around 4,000 - 5,000 each year until 2028. The mid-year population estimates from previous years have showed a general decrease in the population of Birmingham from 1982 to 2002, before beginning to increase again up to 2005, with the increase from 2004 to 2005 being the largest population increase recorded. Though, in total, the overall decline in the population of Birmingham has been by just over 1%. The dependent population (0-14 and 65+) has declined since 2001 as the working population (15-64) has increased. The ward with the lowest population following the boundary readjustments of 2004 was

Ladywood Ladywood is an inner-city district next to central Birmingham. Historically in Warwickshire, in June 2004, Birmingham City Council conducted a citywide "Ward Boundary Revision" to round-up the thirty-nine Birmingham wards to forty. As a result o ...

with 14,801. Prior to the boundary readjustments, it had a population of 23,789. The ward with the highest population following the boundary readjustments of 2004 was

Sparkbrook Sparkbrook is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, England. It is one of the four wards forming the Hall Green formal district within Birmingham City Council. Etymology The area receives its name from Spark Brook, a small stream that f ...

with a population of 31,485, which is an increase from 28,311 prior to the boundary adjustments.

Age

Birmingham has a young population compared to England as a whole. The mid-year population estimates of 2005 estimate that Birmingham has a younger age structure compared to England, with a higher proportion of the population of Birmingham being under the age of 34, and lower proportion being above the age of 35, than England. In the 20 to 24 year age group, the proportion in Birmingham is about 2% above the national figure.Birmingham City Council: Census 2001 - About Birmingham
23.4% of people were aged under 16, 57.7% were aged between 16 and 59, while 18.9% were aged over 60. The average age was 36, compared with 38.6 years for England. The district of Ladywood was found to have the lowest proportion of people who are 60 years and over than all other districts.

Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles south ...

district had the highest proportion of people aged 60 years and over.

Hodge Hill Hodge Hill is an area 4 miles east of Birmingham City Centre, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The MP of Hodge Hill is currently Liam Byrne. The constituency includes the smaller constituenc ...

was found to have the highest population of people from the age of 0 to 15 whilst the districts of

Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family an ...

and Sutton Coldfield had the lowest.2001 Population Census: Age structure
/ref>

Population density

The population density is 3,649 people per square km compared to the 377.2 people per square km for England. The district of

Hall Green Hall Green is an area in southeast Birmingham, England, synonymous with the B28 postcode. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. Historically it lay within the county of Worcestershire. Politics Hall Green is ...

had the most persons per acre at 55.22.

had the lowest number of persons per acre at 15.47, a difference of 39.75.2001 Population Census: Usual resident population
/ref>

Gender

Females represented 51.6% of the population whilst males represented 48.4%. These percentages are above and below the national, regional and county average respectively. However, the 2005 mid-year estimates recorded that there were more males in the city up to the 35-39 age group. 66% of the population of Birmingham that were aged 80 or over were women, and the population of women who were aged 80 or over was 5% of the Birmingham total, as opposed to 3% for males. The district of Ladywood had the highest percentage of males in its population at 49.7%, whilst

Northfield Northfield may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Northfield, Aberdeen, Scotland * Northfield, Edinburgh, Scotland * Northfield, Birmingham, England * Northfield (Kettering BC Ward), Northamptonshire, England United States * Northfield, Connec ...

had the lowest at 47.45%. The ward of Ladywood was the only ward which percentage of males exceeded 50%, with a figure of 50.74%.

Shard End Shard End is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also a ward within the formal district of Hodge Hill. Shard End borders Castle Bromwich to the north and Kingshurst to the east which are situated in the northern part of the neighbouring Metr ...

had the lowest male population percentage at 46.68%.

Obesity

Birmingham is considered the United Kingdom's fattest city. 29% of the adult population are classified as obese while the European average is 14%. A quarter of Birmingham's 11- and 12-year-olds are considered obese.

Ethnicity

The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 censuses in Birmingham. Notes for table above In 2007, it was estimated 33.3% of Birmingham's population was non-white, whereas

, commonly seen as the most diverse of British cities was 30.4% non-white. This is compared to

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

which was only 7.7% non-white. However, there are some smaller towns with larger non-white populations, such as

Dewsbury Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Hudder ...

Batley Batley is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. Batley lies south-west of Leeds, north-west of Wakefield and Dewsbury, south-east of Bradford and north-east of Huddersfield. Batley is part of the ...

, or

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

. At the time of the 2001 census, 70.4% of the population was

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

(including 3.22%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

& 1.49% Other White), 19.5%

British Asian British Asians (also referred to as Asian Britons) are British citizens of Asian descent. They constitute a significant and growing minority of the people living in the United Kingdom, with 6.9% of the population identifying as Asian/Asian Brit ...

, 6.1%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

Black British Black British people are a multi-ethnic group of British citizens of either African or Afro-Caribbean descent.Gadsby, Meredith (2006), ''Sucking Salt: Caribbean Women Writers, Migration, and Survival'', University of Missouri Press, pp. 76–7 ...

, 0.52%

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

, 2.9% of

mixed race Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...

and 0.63% of other ethnic heritage. 16.5% of the population was born outside the United Kingdom and 13.42% (131,091) was born outside of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

.2001 Population Census: Country of Birth
/ref> The district with highest percentage of its population being white was Sutton Coldfield at 90.95%. In research conducted by the

University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...

, Birmingham is believed to become Britain's second plural city, where no ethnicity forms a majority, in 2024.

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

is expected to become the first white minority city in 2019. The white ethnic group is still expected to be the largest. White There were 679,600 people living in Birmingham, who, according to 2005 estimates, said that they belonged to one of the three White ethnic groups, British, Irish or White 'Other', representing a total of 67.8% of the population. As a percentage share of population, Birmingham ranked at 338 out of 354 English local authorities for people belonging to the White ethnic group. The only two boroughs outside London to rank lower than Birmingham were

Slough Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4 ...

(56.8%) ranked at 345 and

(62.6%) at 344.2001 Population Census: White Groups
/ref> The proportion of white people aged 15 years old or under in Birmingham and England was lower than that of their general populations. The proportion of white people of working age (16 to pensionable age) in Birmingham (60.2%) was higher than the general population in Birmingham (59.8%). Locally (20.7%) and nationally (19.6%), the proportion of white people of pensionable age was higher when compared with their respective general populations in Birmingham (16.7%) and England (18.4%). Mixed There were 15,644 people living in Birmingham, who, according to the 2001 Population Census, described their ethnicity as Mixed White & Black Caribbean. As a 1.6% percentage share, Mixed White & Black Caribbean people ranked at 5 (out of 354 English local authorities). There were 1,446 people living in Birmingham, who, according to the 2001 Population Census, described their ethnicity as Mixed White & Black African. As a 0.1% percentage share, Mixed White & Black Africans ranked at 64 (out of 354 English local authorities). The

London Borough of Lambeth Lambeth () is a London boroughs, London borough in South London, England, which forms part of Inner London. Its name was recorded in 1062 as ''Lambehitha'' ("landing place for lambs") and in 1255 as ''Lambeth''. The geographical centre of London ...

was ranked at 1 with 0.8% (2,159).2001 Population Census: Mixed Groups
/ref> There were 6,307 people, who, according to the 2001 Population Census, described their ethnicity as Mixed White & Asian, representing 0.6% of the population of Birmingham and 2.2% of the non-white population. As a percentage share of population, Birmingham ranked at number 34 (out of 354 English local authorities) for people describing their ethnicity as Mixed White & Asian. The

London Borough of Westminster The City of Westminster is a city and borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of central Greater London, including most of the West En ...

ranked at number 1 with 1.3% (2,436). There were 4,549 people of Mixed 'Other' ethnicity living in Birmingham according to the 2001 Population Census, representing 0.5% of the population of Birmingham and 1.6% of the non-white population. As a percentage share of population, Birmingham ranked at number 43 (out of 354 English local authorities) for people describing their ethnicity as Mixed 'Other'. Kensington and Chelsea were ranked at number 1 with 1.4% (2,295). Asian There were a large number of people living in Birmingham, who, according to the 2001 Population Census, said that they belonged to one of the four Asian ethnic groups; Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Asian 'Other'. This represents 19.5% of the population and 65.8% of the non-white population. As a percentage share of population, Birmingham was ranked at 11 (out of 354 English local authorities) for people belonging to one of the Asian ethnic groups. Outside of the London boroughs only Leicester (29.9%) and

Blackburn with Darwen Blackburn with Darwen is a borough and unitary authority area in Lancashire, North West England. It consists of the industrial town of Blackburn and the market town of Darwen including other villages around the two towns. Formation It was fou ...

(20.6%) ranked higher at 3 and 10 respectively.2001 Population Census: Asian Groups
/ref> The proportion of people aged 15 years and under in Birmingham (34.1%) and England (28.7%) was far higher for Asian people than for their general population populations in Birmingham (23.4%) and England (20.2%). The proportion of people of working age (16 to pensionable age) in Birmingham was similar for Asian people (59.6%) and the general population (59.8%). Nationally the proportion was higher for Asian people at 64.6% compared with 61.5%. Locally at 6.3% and nationally at 6.7% the proportion of people of pensionable age was significantly lower for Asian people than their general populations of Birmingham (16.7%) and England (18.4%). The 2011 population census recorded that Birmingham had a Pakistani origin population of 140,000; with Small Heath and Alum Rock having the highest Pakistani population in Birmingham and Northfield, the lowest.Birmingham City Council: Ethnic group
/ref> The highest percentages of Muslims and Asians are found just east and south of the city centre. The neighbourhoods of Birmingham with the highest percentage of Muslim Asians are

Sparkhill Sparkhill is an inner-city area of Birmingham, England, situated between Springfield, Hall Green and Sparkbrook. Historically part of Worcestershire, Sparkhill once existed as a rural area with its main industry being agriculture until the 1 ...

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

Small Heath Small Heath is an area in south-east Birmingham, West Midlands, England situated on and around the Coventry Road about from the city centre. History Small Heath, which has been settled and used since Roman times, sits on top of a small hill. ...

Saltley Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is part of the Washwood Heath ward, and was previously part of the Nechells ward. It is part of the Ladywood constituency in the city. History Saltley was originally ...

Bordesley Green Bordesley Green is an inner-city area of Birmingham, England about two miles east of the city centre. It also contains a road of the same name. It is in the Bordesley Green Ward which also covers some of Small Heath. Heartlands Hospital is l ...

, Alum Rock,

Washwood Heath Washwood Heath is a ward in Birmingham, within the formal district of Hodge Hill, roughly two miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, England. Washwood Heath covers the areas of Birmingham that lie between Nechells, Bordesley Green, Stechf ...

Ward End Ward End is an area of Birmingham, England. It covers the area between Saltley, Hodge Hill and Stechford and includes Ward End Park, a public park that has been open for over 100 years. Ward End territory Pelham in Ward End joins with Alum ...

, Greet,

Hockley Hockley is a large village and civil parish in Essex in the East of England located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea, or, more specifically, between Rayleigh and Rochford. It came to prominence during the coming of the railway in the 189 ...

, Witton,

Aston Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre. History Aston wa ...

Nechells Nechells is a district ward in central Birmingham, England, whose population in 2011 was 33,957. It is also a ward within the formal district of Ladywood. Nechells local government ward includes areas, for example parts of Birmingham city centr ...

Duddeston Duddeston is an inner-city area of the Nechells ward of central Birmingham, England. It was part of the Birmingham Duddeston constituency until that ceased to exist in 1950. Etymology The name ''Duddeston'' comes from ''Dud's Town'', with Dud be ...

Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisati ...

and

Balsall Heath Balsall Heath is an inner-city area of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It has a diverse cultural mix of people and is the location of the Balti Triangle. History Balsall Heath was agricultural land between Moseley village and the city of B ...

. Gypsy and Traveller Birmingham has a Gypsy and

Irish Traveller Irish Travellers ( ga, an lucht siúil, meaning "the walking people"), also known as Pavees or Mincéirs (Shelta: Mincéirí), are a traditionally peripatetic indigenous ethno-cultural group in Ireland.''Questioning Gypsy identity: ethnic na ...

population of 53,554, making them 5.2% of the total population of the city. This population lives mainly in housing and several self-owned caravan sites, most notably in Shipway Road Hay Mills and

Castle Vale Castle Vale is a housing estate located between Erdington, Minworth and Castle Bromwich. Currently Castle Vale makes up the Castle Vale Ward of Birmingham City Council which is part of Erdington constituency (having previously been part of Birmin ...

. The Irish Traveller Movement in Britain has an office based in Victoria Square (Birmingham City Centre), and there is also a law firm on Corporation Street that works solely with this community. A notable Traveller family, from the

Showmen Showman can have a variety of meanings, usually by context and depending on the country. Australia Travelling showmen are people who run amusement and side show equipment at regional shows, state capital shows, events and festivals through ...

sub-group, is the Wilson family who own and run Bob Wilson's Fairgrounds; they are based in Hay Mills and

Brierley Hill Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England, 2.5 miles south of Dudley and 2 miles north of Stourbridge. Part of the Black Country and in a heavily industrialised area, it has a popu ...

. The footballer

Freddy Eastwood Freddy Eastwood (born 29 October 1983) is a former professional footballer. He started his career with West Ham United and also played for Southend United, Grays Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City. He played eleven times in his ...

is from the West Midlands county and is a British

Romanichal Romanichal Travellers ( ; more commonly known as English Gypsies or English Travellers) are a Romani subgroup within the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world. There are an estimated 200,000 Romani in the United Kingdom; ...

Gypsy. Black There were 59,832 people living in Birmingham, who, according to the 2001 Population Census, said that they belonged to one of the three Black ethnic groups; Black Caribbean, Black African or Black 'Other'. This represents 6.1% of the population and 20.7% of the non-white population. As a percentage share of population Birmingham ranked at 25 (out of 354 English local authorities) for people belonging to one of the Black ethnic groups. Outside of London only

Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...

(6.3%) ranked higher at 23.

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

was ranked at 1 with 25.9% (63,416).2001 Population Census: Black Groups
/ref> The proportion of people aged 15 years or under in Birmingham and England was higher for black people than for their general populations. In Birmingham, the proportion was 24% compared with 23.4% and England 26% compared with 20.2%. The neighbourhoods in North Birmingham with large Black Jamaican and Afro Caribbean populations and communities are Handsworth,

, Lozells, Newtown,

Perry Barr Perry Barr is a suburban area in north Birmingham, England. It is also the name of a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. Birmingham Perry Barr is also a parliamentary constituency; its Member of Parliament is Khali ...

Winson Green Winson Green is a loosely defined inner-city area in the west of the city of Birmingham, England. It is part of the ward of Soho. It is the location of HM Prison Birmingham (known locally as Winson Green Prison or "the Green") and of City Hospi ...

, Birchfield,

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

Jewellery Quarter The Jewellery Quarter is an area of central Birmingham, UK, in the north-western area of Birmingham City Centre, with a population of around 19,000 people in a area. The Jewellery Quarter is Europe's largest concentration of businesses invol ...

Erdington Erdington is a suburb and ward of Birmingham in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Warwickshire and located northeast of central Birmingham, bordering Sutton Coldfield. It was also a council constituency, managed by its o ...

Bromford Bromford is an industrial and residential area of Birmingham, situated between Ward End, Alum Rock, Hodge Hill, Washwood Heath, Shard End, Stechford, Castle Bromwich and Tyburn. The industrial area is predominantly situated on the north side o ...

and

. Areas in South Birmingham with large black Jamaican and Afro Caribbean population and communities are

Lee Bank Lee Bank was an inner city area of Birmingham, England. It was part of the Edgbaston and Ladywood wards, inside the Middle Ring Road or Middleway, which surrounds Central Birmingham. Lee Bank's neighbouring areas are Edgbaston, Ladywood, High ...

Moseley Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...

, Stirchley,

Kings Heath Kings Heath (historically, and still occasionally King's Heath) is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, four miles south of the city centre. Historically in Worcestershire, it is the next suburb south from Moseley on the A435, Alcester road. ...

Cotteridge Cotteridge is an area of Birmingham, England and part of the Bournville ward. It is about miles south of Birmingham city centre. It has a shopping centre with a mixture of local shops, eateries and national brands. Church The Cotteridge Church i ...

Selly Park Selly Park is a Residential area, residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Selly Park is located between the Bristol Road (A38 road, A38) and the Pershore Road (A441 road, A441). Toponymy Selly Park is name ...

Kings Norton Kings Norton, alternatively King's Norton, is an area of Birmingham, England. Historically in Worcestershire, it was also a Birmingham City Council ward within the Government of Birmingham, England. The district lies 6.5 miles south-southwes ...

Druids Heath Druids Heath is a large housing estate in southern Birmingham, England covering the south-west quadrant of the B14 postcode (west of the Maypole). Primarily known for the large council estate in the Brandwood ward of south Birmingham. The estate ...

and

Digbeth Digbeth is an area of Central Birmingham, England. Following the destruction of the Inner Ring Road, Digbeth is now considered a district within Birmingham City Centre. As part of the Big City Plan, Digbeth is undergoing a large redevelopment ...

. Similarly, the proportion of Black people of working age (16 to pensionable age) in Birmingham (62.9%) and England (65.7%) was higher than for the general populations of Birmingham (59.8%) and England (61.5%). Locally at 13.1% and nationally at 8.3% the proportion of people of pensionable age was lower for Black people than for their respective general population in Birmingham (16.7%) and England (18.4%). Estimates for Birmingham's Black community are currently thought to be much higher with around 60,000

Jamaicans Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. The vast majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African descent, with minorities of Europeans, East Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed a ...

alone, and 130,000 Afro-Caribbeans in the Birmingham metro area (2005 est). Chinese There were 5,106 people of

ethnicity living in Birmingham according to the 2001 Population Census, this represents 0.5% of the population of Birmingham and 1.8% of the non-white population. As a percentage share of population, Birmingham ranked at number 62 (out of 354 English local authorities) for people describing their ethnicity as Chinese. The London borough of Westminster was ranked at number 1 with 2.3% (4,077).2001 Population Census: Chinese or 'Other' Group - Chinese
/ref> At 15.5%, the proportion of Chinese people aged 15 years old and under was lower than for Chinese people in England (18.2%) and the general populations in Birmingham (23.4%) and England (20.2%). The working age population (16 to pensionable age) was similar for the Birmingham (75.4%) and England (75.3%) Chinese Ethnic groups. This was significantly higher than for the general populations Birmingham (59.8%) and England (61.5%). The proportion of Chinese people of pensionable age in Birmingham (9.1%) and England (6.5%) was much lower than that for the general populations of Birmingham (16.7%) and England (18.4%). Other There were 6,109 people living in Birmingham, who, according to the 2001 Population Census, described their ethnicity as 'Other' ethnic group. As a 0.6% percentage share of population, Birmingham was ranked at 41 (out of 354 English local authorities). Of the local authorities ranked above Birmingham only Westminster with 7,426 (4.1%) residents had a greater number of residents.2001 Population Census: Chinese or 'Other' Group - 'Other' Ethnic Group
/ref> There were 27.1% of people aged 15 and under from the 'Other' ethnic group, this was higher than for the general population of Birmingham (23.4%). Nationally, the opposite was true, where the proportion of people from the 'Other' ethnic group was 19.2% compared with 20.2% for the general population. The proportion of people in Birmingham (68.6%) from the 'Other' ethnic group of working age (16 to pensionable age) was significantly lower than those from the 'Other' ethnic group in England (76.8%). Both groups were significantly higher than their respective general populations in Birmingham (59.8%) and England (61.5%). The proportion of people of pensionable age from the 'Other' ethnic group in Birmingham (4.3%) and England (4.0%) was much lower than for their respective general populations of 16.7% and 18.4%. File:White British in Birmingham population pyramid 2021.svg, White British

Ethnicity of school pupils

Country of birth

Languages

The most common main languages spoken in Birmingham according to the 2011 census are shown below. It's worth bearing in mind that according to another study that references 2011 census data, Polish becomes the second most popular language, behind Punjabi, within the West Midlands Region, of which Birmingham is the largest constituent.

Religion

Serbian Orthodox Church of St Lazar in Birmingham

In 2001, the main religion in Birmingham was

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

, as 59.1% (577,783) of the population were Christians. The second largest religion was

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, adhered to by 14.3%. Meanwhile, 12.4% of the population had no religion.2001 Population Census in Birmingham: Religious profiles
/ref> 8.39% (81,959) did not state their religion, above the national average of 7.7%.2001 Population Census: Religious Profiles
/ref> Birmingham's percentage of Christians is below the national, regional and county average. The percentage of Muslims in Birmingham is above the national, regional and county average, as are the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

(0.3%) and

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

(1.98%) percentages. The

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

percentage, 2.93%, is higher than the national and regional percentage, yet below the county figure. The percentage of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

population in Birmingham (0.24%) is higher than the regional and county average yet almost half that of the national average.2001 Population Census: Religion in Birmingham City Council wards
/ref> There were only 21 out of 354 local authorities in England where the proportion of self-described Christians was lower than that of Birmingham. There were only six authorities with a higher percentage of Muslims. Birmingham's total Muslim population of 140,033 was the highest of any local authority area. The majority of people classifying themselves in one of the White or Black ethnic groups said that they were Christian. At the same time, 29.6% (1,840) Black Africans and 10.8% (1,581) people from the White 'Other' ethnic group said they were Muslim. Over 90% of people in the Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups said they were Muslim. Indian people in the main, said they were Sikh (47.9%) or Hindu (32.7%) . Over 50% of Chinese people said that they had no religion and 18.3% were Buddhist. There were 42.6% (2,605) people from the 'Other' ethnic group who said they were Muslim and 26.6% (1,622) who said they were Christian. DarulBarakaat

The majority of Christians lived in the north, east and south of Birmingham, on the outskirts of the city, with far fewer living in inner-city areas. 51.7% of Birmingham's Hindu population lived in six wards of the city;

Handsworth Wood Handsworth Wood is a suburb of Birmingham in the West Midlands County, England. Located within the metropolitan county of the West Midlands since 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, it was previously a part of the county of Staf ...

(2,461),

Sparkhill, Sparkrbook, Small Heath, Alum Rock, Ward End, Saltley, Bordesley Green, Washwood Heath, Stechford (2,023), Erdington, Bromford

Lozells and East Handsworth Lozells and East Handsworth was a ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a div ...

(1,761),

(1,699),

(1,224) and

(845). Almost 65% of Birmingham's Jewish population lived within five wards of Birmingham;

(586),

Selly Oak Selly Oak is an industrial and residential area in south-west Birmingham, England. The area gives its name to Selly Oak ward and includes the neighbourhoods of: Bournbrook, Selly Park, and Ten Acres. The adjoining wards of Edgbaston and Harborne ...

(361),

Moseley and Kings Heath Moseley and Kings Heath is a ward (politics), ward within the Government of Birmingham, England#Districts, constituency of Hall Green, covering the greater part of the Moseley and Kings Heath areas of Birmingham, England. Politics The ''Moseley ...

(321),

Bournville Bournville () is a model village on the southwest side of Birmingham, England, founded by the Quaker Cadbury family for employees at its Cadbury's factory, and designed to be a "garden" (or "model") village where the sale of alcohol was forbidd ...

(131) and Erdington (104). 71.7% of Birmingham's Muslim population lived in seven wards of Birmingham; Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Small Heath, Alum Rock, Ward End, Saltley, (19,372),

(18,629),

Stechford, (16,847), Springfield (13,461),

(12,381), Lozells and East Handsworth (10,853) and

Erdington, Bromford (8,822), all inner-city wards. The majority of Sikhs were found to live in the west and south east of the city. The ward with the highest proportion of Buddhists was

at 1.4% (257). The following table shows the religion of respondents in the 2001, 2011 and 2021 censuses in Birmingham.

Industry

The majority of Birmingham works in the service industry, with manufacturing which used to take 50% of jobs collapsing in proportion of industrial sector in the latter half of the 20th century.

References

{{City of Birmingham