Birmingham is the second-largest city in the UK and lies at the heart of the West Midlands. It has a population of over 1.1 million, and plays a vital economic, cultural, and social role both regionally and nationally. Birmingham was known as the 'Workshop of the World' during the Industrial Revolution, and has evolved into a vibrant and diverse city. It is important regionally, nationally and internationally.

Regional importance (West Midlands)

Economic centre of the region

Birmingham is the economic powerhouse of the West Midlands, contributing billions to the regional GDP. It supports major industries such as advanced manufacturing, engineering, finance, and retail. It is home to Cadbury which was founded in the city in 1824, and its historic factory in Bournville (pictured below) still operates today, employing around 100 people. It also has Cadbury World which attracts around 600,000 visitors each year, making it one of the leading family attractions in the Midlands. In addition, Birmingham is also home to Jaguar Land Rover, with a workforce of over 3000.

Transport and connectivity hub

The city lies at the heart of the national motorway network (M6, M5, M42), giving it excellent road links to cities nearby. Birmingham New Street is the busiest station outside London, connecting regional cities across the UK, supported by Moor Street and Snow Hill stations within the city centre that serve neighbouring towns and villages, and 34 suburban stations within the city boundary. It also has a regional airport with around 300 flights departing daily.

Education and health services

The city is home to five universities, including the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University and Aston University. It also serves as a regional centre for healthcare, with major institutions like the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which is one of the largest single-site hospitals in Europe, specialising in transplant surgery and military medicine, and is actually home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. Additionally, it is also home to Birmingham Women's Hospital, which is one of only two dedicated women’s hospitals in the UK and is renowned for maternity care and fertility services, as well as the Birmingham Children's Hospital, which is a national leader in complex paediatric surgery and one of the top children’s hospitals in Europe. All of the these education and healthcare services will provide thousands of jobs within the region, as well as offering excellent facilities.

National importance

Second city status

Birmingham is often called the UK’s 'second city' due to the fact that it has the largest urban population outside of London. As a result it plays a central role in national policymaking and infrastructure projects, such as HS2 (High-Speed Rail 2). It is a key city in the government's Levelling Up strategy to reduce regional inequalities.

Financial and business services

Birmingham is a national centre for business, legal, and financial services, and hosts national operations for multinational companies such as HSBC, PwC, BT, and Deutsche Bank. It's central location and good rail and road links, along with the large population, and in particular access to thousands of graduates, make it attractive for investors.

Cultural hub

Birmingham is renowned for institutions like the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Symphony Hall and the Library of Birmingham (pictured below) which is one of the largest libraries in the UK in terms of collection, with over 800,000 books and the biggest library in Europe in terms of physical size at nearly 21,000 sq m over 10 floors. It attracts around 2 million visitors each year, making it the 10th most popular UK tourist attraction.

Large-scale events

Birmingham also has huge conference centres like the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the International Convention Centre (ICC) so it regularly hosts major national events like The Conservative Party Conference, the UK Games Expo, and Crufts.

Additionally, Birmingham Pride is one of the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ festivals, and the city's Frankfurt Christmas Market is the largest authentic German Christmas market outside Germany and Austria, with 80–100 wooden chalet stalls, offering bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzel, mulled wine (Glühwein), etc, and attracts around 5 million visitors annually.

International importance

Global business and investment

Birmingham has strong foreign direct investment (FDI) links, especially with China, the Middle East and the USA. The city led the UK in FDI projects outside London in 2023, with 127 projects, helping make the West Midlands the seventh-best region in Europe for FDI that year, and creating around 7,000 jobs directly. These projects are mainly in tech, transport manufacturing, machinery, logistics, and agri‑food.

Birmingham attracts foreign investment due to its young, diverse and well-qualified population, along with its great transport links (e.g. HS2, airport, motorway network). Investment is also boosted by the presence of science parks, e.g. Birmingham Science Park Aston and enterprise zones.

Diverse and multicultural city

Birmingham is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe - according to the 2021 Census 48.6% of the population is white (lower than any other UK city), 31% are Asian/Asian British and 11% are Black/Black British. These figures make Birmingham one of the UK’s first 'super-diverse' cities, with ethnic minority groups collectively forming 51.4% of the population. Leicester is the only other city in the UK with a 'majority-minority' population. This diversity enhances global connections and makes Birmingham a hub for diaspora business, culture, and cuisine.

International events and tourism

The city hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games (pictured below), significantly boosting its global profile. It also attracts international students and visitors due to its universities, cultural offerings, and central location.

Birmingham Airport

This regional airport provides international air links to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America with 300 flights departing daily, and around 13 million passengers annually. This supports business travel, tourism, and global trade.