Birmingham

West Midlands · England · E08000025

Updated August 2026, this profile covers population as counted at the 2021 Census, ethnicity, religion and country of birth with projections to 2051, arrivals since 2002, housing, schools and services, drawn from ONS, DWP, DfE and other official statistics. Modelled projections are labelled as such. Read the methodology and limitations or inspect the official sources.

Location map showing Birmingham highlighted against neighbouring local authorities.

Birmingham had 1,144,922 residents at the 2021 Census, up 6.7% from 1,073,045 in 2011. The three largest ethnic groups were White British (42.9%), Asian (31.0%) and Black (11.0%). This site's Hamilton-Perry model (version 8.0, projected from the 2011 and 2021 Censuses, held within the ONS 2022-based subnational population projections) puts the three largest groups in 2051 at Asian (35.5%), Black (22.6%) and Other (15.4%).

Already below a White British majority at the 2021 Census.

-28.0pp White British 42.9% → 14.9% by 2051 Projected
1,144,922 Population (2021 Census)
42.9% White British (2021) Census
22.9% -20.0pp White British (2041) Projected
14.9% -28.0pp White British (2051) Projected

Birmingham and the councils that border it, on the map

Birmingham's estimated population rose 9.6% between mid-2011 and mid-2025, from 1,074,283 to 1,176,960 (ONS mid-year estimates, table MYE4). Its White British share fell 10.2 points between the 2011 and 2021 Censuses, from 53.1% to 42.9% (ONS Census 2011 table KS201EW, Census 2021 table TS021).

Map: Population change since 2011, mid-2025 estimate. Birmingham and the councils that border it. Birmingham +9.6%; Bromsgrove +8.8%; Dudley +6.6%; Lichfield +12.2%; North Warwickshire +9.0%; Sandwell +14.2%; Solihull +7.1%; Walsall +9.7%.Birmingham: +9.6%Bromsgrove: +8.8%Dudley: +6.6%Lichfield: +12.2%North Warwickshire: +9.0%Sandwell: +14.2%Solihull: +7.1%Walsall: +9.7%Birmingham+9.6%1,176,960 peopleLichfield+12.2%NorthWarwickshire+9.0%Bromsgrove+8.8%Solihull+7.1%Walsall+9.7%Sandwell+14.2%Dudley+6.6%Birmingham42.9%fell 10.2 points from 2011Lichfield92.0%NorthWarwickshire93.2%Bromsgrove90.4%Solihull77.9%Walsall67.4%Sandwell52.0%Dudley82.4%ukdemographics.co.ukukdemographics.co.ukUK DemographicsPopulation data for every community2025Population change since 2011Birmingham and the councils that border itONS ESTIMATE−4−1+1+4+8+12%Change in the estimated resident population at 30 June, compared withmid-2011.Source: ONS, Mid-Year Population Estimates, England and Wales, June2025, table MYE4 (published 29 July 2026).Boundaries: ONS LAD (May 2026) BSC. Contains OS data © Crowncopyright and database right 2026.ukdemographics.co.ukEvery figure sourced.UK DemographicsPopulation data for every community2021White British share of residentsBirmingham and the councils that border itCENSUS · OBSERVED405060708090%England and Wales 2011: 80.5%England and Wales 2021: 74.4%Share of usual residents in the White: English, Welsh, Scottish, NorthernIrish or British group.Source: ONS Census 2011, table KS201EW.Boundaries: ONS LAD (May 2026) BSC. Contains OS data © Crowncopyright and database right 2026.Share of usual residents in the White: English, Welsh, Scottish, NorthernIrish or British group.Source: ONS Census 2021, table TS021; change from Census 2011, tableKS201EW.Boundaries: ONS LAD (May 2026) BSC. Contains OS data © Crowncopyright and database right 2026.ukdemographics.co.ukEvery figure sourced.

Population of Birmingham, 2011 to 2025

mid-2025 estimate
Birmingham and the councils that border it, A to Z. ONS estimates of the resident population at 30 June. Source: ONS, Mid-Year Population Estimates, England and Wales, June 2025, table MYE4 (published 29 July 2026).
CouncilMid-2011Mid-2025Change
Birmingham1,074,2831,176,960+9.6%
Bromsgrove93,732101,973+8.8%
Dudley313,261333,941+6.6%
Lichfield100,911113,270+12.2%
North Warwickshire62,08967,688+9.0%
Sandwell309,042352,918+14.2%
Solihull206,856221,449+7.1%
Walsall269,524295,722+9.7%
Change since mid-2011, every year
Change in the estimated population compared with mid-2011, A to Z. Source: ONS, Mid-Year Population Estimates, England and Wales, June 2025, table MYE4 (published 29 July 2026).
Council201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Birmingham0.0%+1.0%+1.9%+2.7%+3.8%+5.3%+6.1%+6.7%+7.1%+6.9%+6.4%+7.4%+8.9%+10.1%+9.6%
Bromsgrove0.0%+0.5%+0.9%+1.8%+1.8%+2.7%+3.2%+3.8%+4.9%+5.4%+6.1%+6.8%+7.6%+8.2%+8.8%
Dudley0.0%+0.1%+0.4%+0.8%+1.0%+1.4%+2.0%+2.5%+2.8%+3.0%+3.3%+3.8%+4.7%+5.7%+6.6%
Lichfield0.0%+0.4%+0.9%+1.0%+1.5%+1.7%+2.0%+2.2%+3.2%+4.1%+5.9%+7.3%+9.2%+10.7%+12.2%
North Warwickshire0.0%0.0%−0.1%+0.3%+1.0%+1.3%+2.3%+3.2%+3.7%+3.5%+5.2%+6.3%+6.9%+8.0%+9.0%
Sandwell0.0%+1.2%+2.7%+4.1%+5.5%+6.8%+8.0%+9.0%+10.1%+10.5%+10.6%+11.9%+13.1%+14.3%+14.2%
Solihull0.0%+0.4%+1.1%+2.1%+2.3%+3.0%+3.6%+3.9%+4.6%+4.6%+4.7%+5.3%+6.0%+6.5%+7.1%
Walsall0.0%+0.4%+0.8%+1.6%+2.2%+3.3%+4.3%+5.0%+5.6%+5.6%+5.5%+6.4%+7.8%+9.3%+9.7%

Ethnic groups in Birmingham, 2011 and 2021

Census 2021

The map shows the White British share. The bars show all six groups, on one scale, for each council in 2011 and 2021.

  • White British
  • White Other
  • Asian
  • Black
  • Mixed
  • Other

Birmingham

2011
2021

Bromsgrove

2011
2021

Dudley

2011
2021

Lichfield

2011
2021

North Warwickshire

2011
2021

Sandwell

2011
2021

Solihull

2011
2021

Walsall

2011
2021
White British share of usual residents, A to Z. Census counts. Source: ONS Census 2011 table KS201EW and Census 2021 table TS021.
Council20112021Change
Birmingham53.1%42.9%−10.2 pts
Bromsgrove93.6%90.4%−3.2 pts
Dudley88.5%82.4%−6.1 pts
Lichfield94.6%92.0%−2.6 pts
North Warwickshire95.9%93.2%−2.8 pts
Sandwell65.8%52.0%−13.8 pts
Solihull85.8%77.9%−7.9 pts
Walsall77.0%67.4%−9.5 pts
All six groups, 2011 and 2021
Share of usual residents in each ethnic group, A to Z. Source: ONS Census 2011 table KS201EW and Census 2021 table TS021.
CouncilCensusWhite BritishWhite OtherAsianBlackMixedOther
Birmingham201153.1%4.8%26.6%9.0%4.4%2.0%
Birmingham202142.9%5.7%31.0%11.0%4.8%4.5%
Bromsgrove201193.6%2.2%2.1%0.5%1.5%0.2%
Bromsgrove202190.4%2.6%3.2%0.8%2.4%0.5%
Dudley201188.5%1.5%6.0%1.5%1.8%0.6%
Dudley202182.4%2.5%8.4%2.5%2.8%1.4%
Lichfield201194.6%2.1%1.6%0.5%1.0%0.1%
Lichfield202192.0%2.8%2.4%0.6%1.9%0.4%
North Warwickshire201195.9%1.9%0.9%0.3%0.8%0.1%
North Warwickshire202193.2%3.0%1.3%0.6%1.7%0.3%
Sandwell201165.8%4.1%19.2%6.0%3.3%1.6%
Sandwell202152.0%5.2%25.8%8.7%4.3%4.0%
Solihull201185.8%3.4%6.6%1.6%2.1%0.6%
Solihull202177.9%4.3%11.0%1.8%3.5%1.5%
Walsall201177.0%1.9%15.2%2.4%2.7%0.8%
Walsall202167.4%3.9%18.7%4.6%3.3%2.1%

Ethnic composition trajectory

Solid to 2021 is Census. Dashed after that is the model, which was scored against Census 2021 before publication: a mean absolute error of 1.56 percentage points on that one-decade forecast and a bias of +0.05 points, close to unbiased. The shaded band is the 80% interval for White British share.

Ethnic composition, Birmingham

0 15 29 44 58 % Census 2021 Illustrative White British 9% White Other 5% Asian 33% Black 28% Mixed 6% Other 20% 201120212031204120512061
White British White Other Asian Black Mixed Other 80% interval

Census, observed Projected, modelled

Show the figures
Ethnic composition, Birmingham
Year White BritishWhite OtherAsianBlackMixedOther
2011 53.1%4.8%26.6%9.0%4.4%2.0%
2021 42.9%5.7%31.0%11.0%4.8%4.5%
2031 modelled 32.8%6.0%34.6%13.8%5.4%7.4%
2041 modelled 22.9%6.0%36.4%17.8%5.8%11.1%
2051 modelled 14.9%5.5%35.5%22.6%6.0%15.4%
2061 modelled 9.1%4.8%32.5%27.9%6.0%19.6%
Source: Census 2011 and Census 2021 (ONS) observed; 2031 onward projected by the Hamilton-Perry model. See /methodology/ for the known limitations.

Ethnic composition: Birmingham

Census 2011, Census 2021, then Hamilton-Perry projections to 2061. Percentages.

2011
53%
27%
9%
2021
43%
31%
11%
2031 proj
33%
35%
14%
2041 proj
23%
36%
18%
11%
2051 proj
15%
36%
23%
15%
2061 proj
9%
33%
28%
20%
White British White Other Asian Black Mixed Other

Two-model comparison: White British, 2051

±5.7pp spread
Hamilton-Perry (HP) central 14.9% Cohort change ratios from Census 2011 to 2021. Demographic momentum only, no fertility convergence.
Cohort-component 20.6% Births by ethnicity-specific total fertility rate (TFR) with half-convergence to the national mean by 2061. Slower change.

Two independent models trained on the same Census base disagree by 5.7pp on White British share in Birmingham by 2051. HP captures observed 2011 to 2021 cohort dynamics. The cohort-component model adds explicit fertility assumptions that pull projections toward the national mean. The chart above shows HP. See the methodology for why both numbers are published.

Scenario explorer

Under different assumptions, White British share in Birmingham ranges from 28.4% to 30.1% by 2051: a 1.7pp spread.

Fertility
Low ~108k/yr
Principal ~315k/yr
High ~476k/yr
Constant Rates stay at current levels
Half convergence Move halfway to national avg
Full convergence Converge to national avg
Migration
Central scenario: WBI 29.1% by 2051

What’s driving change

This descriptive calculation splits the change in White British share into national trend, composition adjustment and a local residual. It does not measure age or migration effects. Largest component in the direction of change: local residual.

Components of change in Birmingham

-10.2pp
National trend
-6.1pp
Composition adjustment
+2.1pp
Local residual
-6.2pp

White British share, 2011 to 2021. Descriptive components, not measured causes. Cyan = fall. Amber = rise.

Diversity index

highly diverse Shannon entropy: 0.79 · Dissimilarity: 33.1

Religion

Census 2021 religious composition with projections to 2051.

Religious composition trajectory

0 15 29 44 59 % Census 2021 Christian 10% No religion 33% Muslim 54% Sikh 2% 2021203120412051
Christian No religion Muslim Sikh

Census, observed Projected, modelled

Show the figures
Religious composition trajectory
Year ChristianNo religionMuslimSikh
2021 36.2%25.7%31.8%3.1%
2031 modelled 24.7%29.7%40.1%2.7%
2041 modelled 15.8%32.2%47.5%2.3%
2051 modelled 9.6%33.3%53.5%1.8%
Source: Census 2021 (ONS) observed; later years projected from the Hamilton-Perry ethnic projection.

Muslim population projected: 53.5% by 2051

Country of birth

UK-born vs foreign-born share, with projection to 2051.

Nativity trajectory

22 36 50 64 78 % Census 2021 UK-born 37% Foreign-born 63% 2021203120412051
UK-born Foreign-born

Census, observed Projected, modelled

Show the figures
Nativity trajectory
Year UK-bornForeign-born
2021 73.3%26.7%
2031 modelled 62.2%37.8%
2041 modelled 49.7%50.3%
2051 modelled 37.2%62.8%
Source: Census 2021 country of birth (ONS) observed; later years projected from the Hamilton-Perry ethnic projection.

English proficiency

Census 2021

Main language English84.4%
Main language not English15.6%
Cannot speak English well3.8%
Cannot speak English at all0.8%
Total population 3+1,100,907

ONS Census 2021 (TS029) via NOMIS. Reference date 21 March 2021.

Data flag 15.6% of residents aged 3 and over have a main language other than English (Census 2021, TS029), above the 15% line this site uses to flag language demand. A threshold on one Census variable, not a service-planning assessment. This site publishes no projection of language: it models ethnic group, and ethnic composition change is not a measure of language change.

Demographic change and service exposure

A composite score from five capped components. It measures exposure to demographic change, not service cost or capacity, and it has not been validated against observed service demand. See how the score is built.

83/100 High exposure Rank 16 of 318
Ethnic change20/20
Asylum11/20
School18/20
Language16/20
Housing18/20

New arrivals (NINo registrations)

Adults from overseas registering for a National Insurance number, rolling year ending Oct-25 to Dec-25. Birmingham ranks highest of 295 areas nationally for total NINo registrations.

Registrations (rolling year)20,232
Year-on-year -7.4%
NationalityRegistrationsShare
Pakistan 4,419 21.8%
India 4,149 20.5%
Nigeria 1,550 7.7%
Bangladesh 1,192 5.9%
China 1,094 5.4%
Eritrea 895 4.4%
Afghanistan 589 2.9%
Nepal 585 2.9%
Iran 531 2.6%
Sudan 511 2.5%

DWP National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals (Stat-Xplore NINO database), rolling year ending Q4 2025.. NINo registrations measure new arrivals into the National Insurance system, not total foreign-born population. A NINo is allocated when an overseas national requests one, usually to start work or claim benefits, so the figure misses students and dependants who never enter the labour market. Small (LA × nationality) cells are suppressed by Stat-Xplore for disclosure control.

Arrivals over the last 24 years

Annual NINo registrations to adults from overseas in Birmingham from 2002 to 2025, alongside the UK total for context. The peak year was 2023 (35,112 registrations). Total over the full period: 365,005 registrations.

08,77817,55626,33435,112 0k268k537k805k1073k 200220052010201520202025 peak 2023 (35,112) low 2002 (7,306) Birmingham (annual) UK (annual)

DWP Stat-Xplore, NINO Registrations to Adult Overseas Nationals Entering the UK (Ninos cube), aggregated per calendar year by summing the four constituent quarters. Geography: ONS LA codes. Counts are NEW NINo registrations per calendar year. A NINo is issued once per person at the point of first work or claim, so this is a flow measure, not a stock. People who arrive but never register (some students, dependants, retirees) are excluded. Late registrations show in a later year than the year of arrival. Pre-2010 figures used a different administrative system; series is comparable but small methodological revisions to the early years are possible.

Who is arriving

Age and sex profile of 20,403 NINo registrations to adults from overseas in Birmingham in 2025. National comparison shown alongside.

Age at registration

Less than 18 3.7%
18-24 39.4%
25-29 28.5%
30-34 12.9%
35-39 7.0%
40-44 3.5%
45-49 1.9%
50-54 1.0%
55-59 0.7%
60 or over 1.3%

Birmingham   UK marker

Sex

Male 59.4% Female 40.6%

Male share is 5.0pp higher than the UK average (54.4%).

DWP Stat-Xplore Ninos cube, LA × Age band × Sex, rolling year ending Q4 2025 (January 2025 to December 2025). Counts are NEW NINo registrations to adult overseas nationals. Age is age at NINo registration, not age at arrival. The registration may follow arrival by months. 'Less than 18' is rare in this dataset because the published Ninos series is filtered to adult overseas nationals; values reflect young workers/claimants close to 18. 'Unknown' age is a small residual.

Why people are coming

For each of the top arriving nationalities in Birmingham, this is the national mix of visa routes used in 2025. It shows whether arrivals from that country are typically students, workers, on family routes (including refugee family reunion), or in some other category. Local-authority breakdowns of visa routes are not published, so we apply the national mix at nationality level.

Pakistan 4,419 in Birmingham (21.8%)
Predominantly students UK total 56,201 NINos · 57,753 non-visitor visas issued 2025
India 4,149 in Birmingham (20.5%)
Mostly students UK total 129,772 NINos · 158,598 non-visitor visas issued 2025
Nigeria 1,550 in Birmingham (7.7%)
Mostly students UK total 45,877 NINos · 51,546 non-visitor visas issued 2025
Bangladesh 1,192 in Birmingham (5.9%)
Mostly students UK total 16,145 NINos · 17,696 non-visitor visas issued 2025
China 1,094 in Birmingham (5.4%)
Mostly students UK total 27,837 NINos · 97,363 non-visitor visas issued 2025

Home Office, Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026; Vis_D02 (Entry clearance visa outcomes by nationality, visa type, and outcome). Joined with DWP Stat-Xplore NINo registrations rolling year ending Q4 2025. Visa grants are issued at the point of entry-clearance application and are NOT the same population as NINo registrations. Visitor visas (2.24 million in 2025) do not lead to NINo and are excluded from the route-mix percentages so the Work / Study / Family / Other proportions are interpretable. Humanitarian routes (BN(O), Ukraine schemes, Resettlement, Asylum) are surfaced as national totals only because the same nationality split is not provided in this dataset. EU/EEA nationals largely fall outside entry-clearance for short stays, so their NINo flow is materially understated by visa data alone.

How Birmingham changed: 2011 to 2021

Two snapshots from two consecutive Censuses, ten years apart. Population changed from 1,073,045 in 2011 to 1,144,919 in 2021 (+6.7%). Non-UK-born residents went from 238,313 (22.2% of population) to 305,960 (26.7%).

Group 2011 2021 Change
UK-born 834,732 77.8% 838,959 73.3% +4,227
Ireland-born 16,085 1.5% 10,462 0.9% -5,623
EU pre-2001 (France, Germany, Italy, etc.) 13,032 1.2% 26,704 2.3% +13,672
EU 2001-2011 accession (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, etc.) 16,532 1.5% 30,842 2.7% +14,310
Rest of World 192,664 18% 237,952 20.8% +45,288

Source: ONS Census 2011 KS204EW (NOMIS NM_611_1) and Census 2021 TS012 (NOMIS NM_2032_1), aligned to broad country-of-birth groups. 2011 data uses 2011 LA boundaries; 2021 data uses 2023 boundaries. LAs whose ONS code changed between Censuses (Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire, Somerset reorganisations) are not in this comparison.

Working and not working, by passport group

Census 2021 employment status of Birmingham residents aged 16 and over, by passport held. Three numbers shown per group:

  • The first three columns sum to 100% for each row. Every adult is either in work, unemployed, or inactive.
  • In work: share of all adults aged 16+ who have a paid job.
  • Unemployed: share of all adults aged 16+ who are looking for work but do not have a job.
  • Inactive: share of all adults aged 16+ who are not in the labour market. Includes retirees, full-time students, those looking after family, the long-term sick.
  • Employment rate (last column): share of those who are trying to work (excluding full-time students) who have a job. Almost always higher than In Work because it leaves out everyone who is retired, raising kids, or in full-time study.
Passport group Pop 16+ In work Unemployed Inactive Employment rate
UK passport 678,102 52.7% 5.4% 41.9% 92.1%
Irish passport 9,764 37.8% 2.7% 59.6% 94.8%
EU member country passport 56,446 63.0% 7.9% 29.1% 90.9%
Rest of Europe (non-EU) 3,380 49.1% 9.4% 41.4% 86.3%
African passport 10,162 48.8% 12.1% 39.0% 85.3%
Middle East / Asian passport 37,591 39.5% 6.6% 53.9% 88.9%
Americas / Caribbean passport 4,812 59.1% 8.6% 32.3% 88.7%
Oceania / Antarctica passport 439 69.5% 6.2% 24.4% 93.4%
No passport held 88,899 23.7% 7.2% 69.1% 77.7%

ONS Census 2021 RM021, Economic activity status by passports held, by local authority district. NOMIS NM_2121_1. Stock measure on Census Day (21 March 2021). Passports-held is a proxy for nationality (UK = UK passport holder). Employment rate excludes full-time students from the denominator (the standard ONS definition). The 'inactive' category includes retirees, full-time students who do not work, those looking after family, long-term sick, and other reasons.

Schools, first language

Across 499 state-funded schools in Birmingham (210,373 pupils, 2025/26), 40.4% have a first language other than English.

Pupils with first language other than English81,655 (40.4%)
Pupils with first language English119,303 (59.0%)
Free school meals50.4%

Source: DfE Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics 2025/26, school-level data aggregated to district. EAL (English as Additional Language) is a household-level signal: children born in the UK to non-English-speaking households count as EAL.

West Midlands labour market

Payrolled employments in the West Midlands region (December 2025). Provides Birmingham with regional context. Local-authority RTI is not published; the region is the smallest geography for HMRC's nationality breakdown.

Total employments2,772,400
Non-UK share19.4%
5-year change · Non-EU +212,300
5-year change · EU -17,400

Top industries by non-UK share (West Midlands)

Administrative and support services 35.1%
Transportation and storage 30.3%
Health and social work 25.5%
Accommodation and food service activities 24.9%
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 23.7%

Source: HM Revenue and Customs, PAYE Real Time Information, payrolled employments by region and industrial sector, July 2014 to December 2025; the five-year change runs from December 2020. Counts are employments not employees, rounded to the nearest 100; suppressed cells appear as missing.

Crime

Police-recorded crime rates per 1,000 population, Year ending March 2026, ONS. Birmingham ranks at the 93rd percentile nationally for total crime rate.

Total crime / 1k114.8
Violent crime / 1k46.4
Theft / 1k35.2
Drug offences / 1k3.9
Year-on-year -0.8%

Police force: West Midlands. It could not place 1.2% of the offences it recorded in this period in any area, and those offences are in no area's figure.

ONS, Crime in England and Wales: Police Force Area data tables, year ending March 2026 (released 23 July 2026), Tables C1, C2 and C5, police recorded crime from the Home Office; rates per 1,000 residents on ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Police recorded crime is shaped by recording practice, reporting rates and policing priority, and city centre rates are inflated by small resident populations. Offences a force could not place in any area are left out of area figures; each area shows its force's unassigned share.

Adult social care

Council spending on adult social care (2024-25) and residential care for people aged 65 and over (2024-25), against each age group's population in the ONS mid-2025 estimates. Spend per adult ranks at the 42nd percentile nationally.

Gross spend per adult (18+), 2024-25£609
Aged 65+ in residential care per 10,000 aged 65+, 2024-25139

Department of Health and Social Care, Adult social care finance report, England: 2024 to 2025, Table 14; Department of Health and Social Care, Adult social care activity report, England: 2024 to 2025, Table 34; Office for National Statistics, Mid-Year Population Estimates, England and Wales, June 2025, for the per-head rates. Adult social care is run by upper tier councils (counties, unitaries, metropolitan districts and London boroughs), so a district shows its county's figures. Spend reflects age structure, deprivation and unpaid care, so differences between councils are not a measure of efficiency. Activity figures are official statistics in development.

Department of Health and Social Care change note on the activity report, 7 October 2026: “Added notice of planned corrections to the 2024 to 2025 activity report, affecting data submitted by some local authorities. Updated figures will be published alongside the 2025 to 2026 activity report.”

Health by ethnic group

Share reporting "not good health" in each of Birmingham's largest ethnic groups, Census 2021.

White 23.0%
White: English 23.9%
Asian 16.5%

ONS Census 2021 (RM043 - General health by ethnic group by age) via NOMIS. All ages, no age-standardisation: younger ethnic-group populations will show lower rates partly because they're younger, not necessarily because they're healthier. Group labels shortened for display.

Special educational needs

EHCPs and primary need breakdown, 2025/26 academic year. 5-year EHCP growth ranks at the 8th percentile nationally.

Pupils with an EHC plan, % of pupils4.7%
Pupils with an EHC plan9,967
Autism, share of EHC plans44.9%
5-yr growth +38.1%
Autistic spectrum disorder 44.9%
Speech, language and communications needs 17.3%
Social, emotional and mental health 9.3%
Moderate learning difficulty 6.3%
Physical disability 5.5%
Severe learning difficulty 5.2%

DfE, Special educational needs in England, academic year 2025/26, published 11 June 2026, Explore Education Statistics: pupils in all schools by type of SEN provision, and pupils with an EHC plan by primary type of need. SEND is run by upper-tier councils, so district pages show their county. Figures count pupils on the January school census who have an EHC plan; plans held by children under school age, young people in further education and those not in school are not included. The autism figure is the share of pupils with an EHC plan whose primary need is autism, not a prevalence in the population. Rising numbers may reflect identification, diagnosis and parental awareness as well as need.

How NHS care for overseas residents is funded (national context)

Most non-UK residents in Birmingham pay for NHS care up-front through the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is added to most visa applications. Asylum seekers, refugees, ILR holders and Irish citizens are exempt. Visitors and undocumented residents are charged at 150% of the national NHS tariff. The figures below are England + Wales national totals; per-LA NHS cost-recovery is not centrally published.

Current IHS rate (adult, per year) £1,035
IHS rate, students/under-18s (per year) £776
IHS revenue 2024/25 (£m) £1,315.6m
Cumulative IHS revenue 2015-2024 £6.9bn
IHS rate history
  • From 2015-04-06: £200/year adult, £150/year students/under-18s
  • From 2019-01-08: £400/year adult, £300/year students/under-18s
  • From 2020-10-27: £624/year adult, £470/year students/under-18s
  • From 2024-02-06: £1035/year adult, £776/year students/under-18s
Indicative charges for visitors and undocumented residents

Maternity care is classified as "immediately necessary": it cannot be refused or delayed for charging, but it is invoiced afterwards at 150% of the NHS national tariff.

  • Routine vaginal delivery, no complications: £3,000-£5,500
  • Caesarean section: £5,000-£7,500
  • Premature birth with NICU stay: £15,000-£30,000+
  • Antenatal appointment: £150-£400 each

Sources: NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 (as amended); Home Office IHS caseworker guidance (Sept 2025); House of Commons Library briefing CBP-7274; NHS England NHS Payment Scheme (national tariff). Approximately 80% of identified overseas-visitor debt across all NHS treatment is uncollected (NAO, follow-up scrutiny).

Economic profile

Avg employment rate32.5%
Avg home ownership29.5%
Avg social rent14.2%
Degree or above17.6%
No qualifications13.6%

Housing

Composition today

How dwellings in Birmingham are occupied. Single-person households and houses in multiple occupation are the two cleanest signals.

Single-person discount take-up33.9%
Dwellings on 25% single-person discount151,280
HMO dwellings (Census 2021)4,128
HMOs per 1,000 population3.61

Sources: MHCLG Council Taxbase 2025 (CTB, snapshot 6 October 2025) for single-person discount; ONS Census 2021 RM192 for HMO dwellings. HMO Census numbers reflect dwellings classified as HMO on Census Day; current licensing registers held by individual councils are not centrally published.

Tenure by ethnic group

Household ownership rates for Birmingham's largest ethnic groups, Census 2021.

White: owned 57.4%
White: English: owned 59.7%
Asian: owned 61.9%

ONS Census 2021 (RM134 - Tenure by ethnic group, Household Reference Persons) via NOMIS. Group labels shortened for display.

Tenure projection

Census 2021 tenure patterns by ethnicity, projected to 2041 from demographic composition change.

Ownership (2021)29.5%
Social rent (2021)14.2%
Private rent (2021)14.4%
Ownership (2041)20.9%
Social rent (2041)11.8%
Social rent change-2.3pp

Data flag The foreign-born share is projected to rise by 36.1pp between 2021 and 2051 (Census 2021 TS004 country of birth, projected by the Hamilton-Perry method), above the 15pp line this site uses to flag housing demand. A threshold on one projected variable, not a housing-need assessment.

School demographics

DfE School Census 2024/25. 201,666 pupils.

White British pupils24.7%
Minority pupils75.3%
EAL growth (projected)+18.2pp
White British gap (school vs population)18.2pp

Schools are 18pp more diverse than the general population (schools show the future).

Westminster constituencies

Parliamentary constituencies overlapping Birmingham, listed A to Z. The percentage shown is the share of each constituency's postcodes that fall in Birmingham.

Updated 14 Aug 2026 · Census 2021, ONS SNPP, DfE School Census