Eritrean Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Eritrea lies on the Red Sea coast of the Horn of Africa, and its capital, Asmara, is famous for its modernist architecture, recognised by UNESCO. Tigrinya is the most widely spoken language, and the population is split between Christians and Muslims. Many Eritreans in Birmingham came to Britain seeking safety.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 3,020 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Eritrean; and 2,858 residents gave Tigrinya as their main language. Main language figures leave out the many bilingual residents who use English day to day, so the number who speak the language at home is higher still.

Working for Birmingham

Eritrean residents work in healthcare, social care, transport, hospitality, construction and retail, and many are studying to build new careers. Eritrean cafes and shops have opened in the city, and young Eritreans are doing well in Birmingham's schools and colleges, with ambitions in medicine, engineering and business.

Much of the work that keeps Birmingham moving happens out of sight: the night shift on a hospital ward, the early start on a building site, the plumber who fixes a boiler on a winter evening, the teaching assistant who helps a child learn to read. People from every community in the city do these jobs, and Eritrean residents are part of that everyday effort to make Birmingham a better place to live.

Culture and community life

The coffee ceremony is at the heart of Eritrean hospitality, and injera with spicy stews is shared from a common plate. Eritrean Orthodox and Catholic churches and mosques are important to community life, and Independence Day on 24 May is celebrated with music and dance.

In a city where scores of languages are spoken, the Eritrean community adds another voice to the conversation. Its members, old and new, are helping to make Birmingham the confident, outward-looking city it wants to be.