Bosnian Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the heart of the Balkans, known for the old bridge at Mostar and the city of Sarajevo, where East and West have met for centuries. Many Bosnian families came to Britain during the war of 1992 to 1995, and they have rebuilt their lives with great determination.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 154 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Bosnian.

Working for Birmingham

Bosnian residents work in healthcare, engineering, construction, education and business, and their children, many born in Birmingham, have gone on to university and professional careers. The community is known for its resilience and its commitment to helping others who have faced hardship.

Birmingham grew rich as the city of a thousand trades, and that spirit of making and doing is still strong. Today the trades sit alongside healthcare, education, finance, law, logistics and technology. The Bosnian community brings energy to that mix, from people starting small businesses to those caring for patients, teaching in classrooms and keeping homes and workplaces in good repair.

Culture and community life

Bosnian coffee, served strong in small copper pots, is a ritual of friendship. Cevapi, burek and baklava are much-loved dishes, and sevdalinka, the traditional love songs, express the soul of Bosnian culture. Eid, Christmas and other festivals are marked by the community's many faiths.

Like so many of the communities that make up modern Birmingham, the Bosnian community shows how a city can be home to many cultures at once. Its members are proud of where they come from, and just as proud to be Brummies.