Birmingham, United Kingdom Population

The city of Birmingham is located in England in the United Kingdom. This metropolitan borough located in the West Midlands was founded in the 12th century. It is the second-largest city in England, with 2.6 million people in the urban area and 984 thousand people in the city area. It is considered to be the social, cultural, financial, and commercial centre of the West and East Midlands and is intersected by the River Tame and its tributaries, the River Rea and the River Cole.

For a long time, the city’s population stayed stagnant around the 2 million mark, and it even dipped in the early 2000s. Since then, the city’s population has continued to grow and is predicted to reach just over 2.8 million people by 2035. Much of this growth is attributed to migration to Birmingham from international locations and other parts of the UK.

One of the youngest cities in Europe

Unassuming Birmingham is a great place to visit or live if you’re younger. In fact, almost 40% of Birmingham’s population is under 25 years of age. This makes it one of the youngest cities in Europe. The city is also home to five universities and over 73,000 students, which helps bolster the city’s young population and create an exciting nightlife. The city’s youthfulness is evident in its progressive dining options, culture, and shopping district.

The Gun Quarter

Birmingham was once a major centre of the world’s gun-manufacturing industry. The Gun Quarter is located north of the city’s centre and the first manufacturer opened in 1630 and the area’s locally made muskets were used in the English Civil War. The Gun Quarter also specialized in the production of military firearms and sporting guns. In 2008, the area was absorbed into the Birmingham City Centre and many of the buildings fell into disuse. However, redevelopment plans are in place for the area—even if they won’t be making guns anymore.

A diverse religious demographic

Most of Birmingham is Christian, with 46% identifying as Christian. However, Birmingham’s religious makeup is quite diverse. In fact, outside of London, Birmingham has the largest Muslim, Sikh, and Buddhist communities in the United Kingdom. It also has the second-largest Hindu community and the seventh largest Jewish community in the UK. The number of people identifying as Christian have continued to steadily decline. The number of people who identify as having no religion also continues to rise, with 19% of the community currently not following or adhering to any religion.

Economic inequality

Birmingham has greater economic inequality than almost any other major English city, apart from Glasgow. The levels of unemployment in the city sit at 10%, among the highest in the country. In the city’s inner-city wards of Washwood Heath and Aston, this number is quite a bit higher, at 30%.Only 49% of the women of Birmingham have jobs, as opposed to the national average of 65%, and only 28% of the city’s working-age population have a university degree—as opposed to 34% across the rest of the country. A large part of Birmingham’s population actually lives in some of the most economically deprived parts of England, and—in terms of income and employment deprivation—Birmingham local authority if one of the worst in England. Surprisingly, the infant mortality rate is also very bad in Birmingham and is 60% worse than the national average.

One of the greenest cities in the UK

People are sometimes surprised to learn that—despite Birmingham’s depressed economic situation—it is one of the greenest cities in the UK, with over 8,000 acres and 600 parks and open spaces that are publicly accessible and for the residents’ enjoyment. This is even more than the city of Paris! Birmingham also has more canals than Venice, with 56km of waterways.