Note: This article is about Birmingham, UK. For notes about the US city of Birmingham, Alabama - please scroll to the bottom of the page.
Birmingham is the second largest city in the United Kingdom (London is the largest city in the UK). At the time of the census in 2001, the population of Birmingham was recorded at 977,087.
The Census of 2011 shows that Birmingham’s population had reached 1,137,100.
City Size and Population Density
Birmingham’s city proper covers 267 square kilometers, with a population just over 1 million. The entire metropolitan area covers 598 square kilometers and boasts a population of 4,332,629 individuals. The population density overall comes to approximately 4,200 people per square kilometer.
Birmingham’s Population History
For most of its history, Birmingham saw steady population growth as it grew into one of Britain’s most important industrial centers.
It’s most significant period of growth was between 1911 and 1921 when the number of people living in the city almost doubled. In just ten years, the population increased from 525,833 to 919,333, a growth rate of 74.9%.
Since then, however, Birmingham’s population has gone up and down. The 2011 census marks the third time that the city’s size has exceeded one million people. The milestone was reached for the first time in 1931 when the population was recorded at 1,002,603, but the following census from 1939 marked a fall to 995,039. The city bounced back to 1.1 million residents in 1951, but by the time of the 2001 census, it’s population had fallen again to 977,087. Birmingham’s council is no doubt crossing its fingers in the hope that they will once again be able to join London as the only British city with a population of over a million.
Ethnicity and Religion in Birmingham
Birmingham is even more ethnically diverse than London, the country’s capital city. The 2001 census confirmed that 70.4% of the people of Birmingham were white, 19.5% were Asian, 6.1% were Black, 0.5 were Chinese, 2.5% were mixed race, and 0.6 were of another ethnic group.
Birmingham is also notable for having the UK’s highest Gypsy and Traveller population. At 53,554, more than 5% of the people living in Birmingham are Gypsies or Travellers.
Christianity remains the city’s most prominent religion. In the last (2001) census 59.1% of Birmingham residents reported themselves as being Christian. Other major religions were Islam (14.3%), Sikh (2.93%), and Hindu (1.98%). 12.4% of the surveyed population reported having no religion, and 8.4% did not answer the question.
Population of Birmingham Alabama
In case you were wondering, the population of Birmingham in the USA was 212,237 in 2010, making it the 97th largest American city. The city reached a peak population of 340,087 in 1960, but since then it has been in steady decline.
The 2010 US Census recorded that 73.4% of Birmingham Alabama’s population was black, and 22.3% white, making it considerably less diverse than it’s namesake in England.
