Quick answerBirmingham is a city in the United Kingdom, with 1,176,960 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 4.3 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Industrial Revolution heritage, the Canals and the Jewellery Quarter. Its official language is English, and its currency is the Pound sterling.
Birmingham is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom, with 1,176,960 residents in 2025. It lies in the West Midlands region of England, at the centre of a metropolitan area of about 4.3 million people. The city grew into the workshop of the world during the Industrial Revolution.
Key facts
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 1,176,960 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 4,300,000 (2025) · Birmingham metropolitan area, 2023 (Statista; published as 4.3 million) |
| Time zone | Europe/London |
| Language | English |
| Currency | Pound sterling (GBP, £) |
| Coordinates | 52.48° N, 1.9025° W |
Overview
Birmingham is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom and the largest city in the Midlands. It lies in the West Midlands region of England, at the centre of a conurbation that includes Wolverhampton, Dudley and Solihull. Birmingham began as a market town in the 12th century and grew in the 18th century into the workshop of the world, making guns, jewellery, buttons and coins in thousands of small workshops.
About 1.18 million people lived in Birmingham in 2025, and about 4.3 million in its metropolitan area. The city was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution: the Lunar Society, a group of thinkers and industrialists who met here in the 18th century, included James Watt and Matthew Boulton, who built the steam engines that powered the age. Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice, built to carry coal and goods to its workshops.
Today Birmingham's economy runs on services, education and conferences, and its five universities make it one of the largest centres of higher education in the country. The city is known for its Jewellery Quarter, its balti restaurants, its canals and its music, and it hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
What Birmingham is known for
- Industrial Revolution heritage
- Canals
- Jewellery Quarter
- Balti cuisine
- Commonwealth Games 2022
Landmarks
- Library of Birmingham
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
- St Philip's Cathedral
- Jewellery Quarter
- Cadbury World (nearby)
- Council House and Victoria Square
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Birmingham?
Birmingham had 1,176,960 residents in 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics, making it the largest local authority district in England by population. Its wider metropolitan area had about 4.3 million people in 2023. Birmingham is often called the second city of the United Kingdom.
Where is Birmingham and what is it known for?
Birmingham is in the West Midlands region of England, about 160 kilometres north-west of London. It is the most inland major city in the country, lying near the traditional centre point of England. The city is known for its canals, its Jewellery Quarter and its role in the Industrial Revolution, and its coordinates are 52.48° N, 1.90° W.
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Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.