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Living in Birmingham

Birmingham is a city in the United Kingdom. The population of Birmingham totalled 1,121,375 at the end of 2021. The regional median gross salary reached €2,870 per month at the end of 2024. Birmingham's unemployment stood at 7.7% at the end of 2018.

Higher unemployment than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it, more recorded crime than 76% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Birmingham?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Birmingham.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Birmingham. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Birmingham recurring monthly costs, € per month€1411Private kindergarten€291Utilities, 85 m² flat€82Transport pass€43Internet, 60 Mbps€33Fitness club€19Mobile plan, 10 GB€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly32.7 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month85.99 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited42.55 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,411 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant18.1 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB18.68 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass81.74 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home291.4 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Rent price index, mean1,280 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics14Official

Work and income

At the end of 2021, the employment rate stood at 49.4%. At the end of 2021, Birmingham recorded 428,555.

What is the typical salary in Birmingham?

The median gross salary is about 3,246 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions. the regional series (home-region basis, {period}) is a separate labelled row in the table — shown in the table below.

  • Median gross salary: 3,246 EUR/month · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary10
  • Median gross salary (regional): 2,870 EUR/month · 2026-08-06 · Office for National Statistics (ONS)8

What is the unemployment rate in Birmingham?

The unemployment rate is 7.7 % (2018). Source: Eurostat3

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Birmingham is 7.7%. Of 1,007 cities with data, 657 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band24 cities: 0% to under 2%240–2657 cities: 2% to under 4%6572–4265 cities: 4% to under 6%2654–649 cities: 6% to under 8%496–8Birmingham 7.7%7 cities: 8% to under 10%78–104 cities: 10% to under 12%410–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate49.4 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Median gross salary3,246 EUR/month31 Dec 2025ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary10Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,870 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)8Official · regional context
Salary Net Avg Eur Month3,907 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/birmingham/16Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate7.7 %country median 3.4%31 Dec 2018Eurostat3Official
Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 1991–2018
Unemployment rate in Birmingham by year, %7.2%9.8%12.4%15.0%1991200120082011201620187.7%%

Unemployment rate fell 46.9% between 1991 and 2018, from 14.5% to 7.7%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Birmingham. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Birmingham. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count300 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official
School Count519 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official

Safety

How safe is Birmingham?

Police recorded about 11,416 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 11,416 offences per 100,000 · Office for National Statistics7
Recorded crime across major citiesBirmingham highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Birmingham highlighted14,267Manchester13,099Bristol12,409Liverpool11,700Bradford11,462Leeds11,416Birmingham11,001Leicester9,693Sheffield9,379Cardiff8,836Coventry757Glasgow549Edinburghrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents11,416 offences per 100,000country median 9,66931 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics7Official

Mobility and administration

Birmingham's nearest airport was BHX, 11 km away and offered 81 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count81 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights12Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km11 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official
Nearest Major Airport IataBHX3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official
Public transport monthly pass81.74 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo15Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Climate and air quality

The annual PM2.5 concentration measured 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Is the air quality good in Birmingham?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency2

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Birmingham annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.0PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Birmingham is 9.0 µg/m³. Of 864 cities with data, 448 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–428 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³284–5203 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³2035–6448 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³4486–7174 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1747–88 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³88–91 city: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³19–10Birmingham 9.01 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2019European Environment Agency2Official · nearest-station reading
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 13.52 · Feb 16.24 · Mar 18.87 · Apr 23.04 · May 25.76 · Jun 28.41 · Jul 31.97 · Aug 30.59 · Sep 26.95 · Oct 26.26 · Nov 18.12 · Dec 13.87 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -7.58 · Feb -9.3 · Mar -6.39 · Apr -4.09 · May -1.07 · Jun 3.29 · Jul 6.44 · Aug 5.52 · Sep 3.04 · Oct -2.9 · Nov -5.14 · Dec -7.62 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by monthJan 3.62 · Feb 3.79 · Mar 5.52 · Apr 8.35 · May 11.52 · Jun 14.61 · Jul 16.39 · Aug 15.96 · Sep 13.54 · Oct 10.28 · Nov 6.53 · Dec 4.23 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Glasgow640,350 residentsLeeds536,280 residentsLiverpool506,565 residentsSheffield500,535 residentsEdinburgh488,050 residentsManchester470,405 residents

Population and city profile

Birmingham had a median age of 33 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Birmingham?

The published population was 1,121,375 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics6

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population1,121,375 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official

International community in Birmingham

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom819,85573.1%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)234,29020.9%
Europe: EU countries67,2306.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Is Birmingham a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker23%strong on work, weak on safety · range 14–32%
Skilled employee54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 46–62%
Student37%strong on education, weak on safety · range 29–45%
Family50%strong on family, weak on cost · range 42–58%
Retirement28%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 16–40%
Population1,121,375 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Rent price index, mean1,280 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics
Employment rate49.4 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary3,246 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary
Median gross salary (regional)2,870 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Unemployment rate7.7 %31 Dec 2018Official source · Eurostat
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-14

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct28.3 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus428,555 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Median age33 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Universities5 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students9Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Birmingham under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

How does Birmingham compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Birmingham's.

Another city…

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Birmingham?

The published population was 1,121,375 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Birmingham?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

How safe is Birmingham?

Police recorded about 11,416 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Office for National Statistics.

What is the typical salary in Birmingham?

The median gross salary is about 3,246 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary.

What is the unemployment rate in Birmingham?

The unemployment rate is 7.7 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Birmingham?

The median gross salary is 2,870 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Birmingham a good place to live?

Birmingham may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Europe: EU countries live in Birmingham?

The official country of birth distribution records 67,230 people (6.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Birmingham, United Kingdom: rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/birmingham/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_birmingham-united-kingdom-rent-salary-cost-of-living_03a983ae8a2b,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Birmingham, United Kingdom: rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/birmingham/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Birmingham, United Kingdom: rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/birmingham/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  3. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  4. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  5. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  6. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  7. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  8. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  9. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  10. ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary ONS ASHE workplace analysis · nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-05
Show 6 more sources
  1. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
  2. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-12
  5. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/birmingham/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

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