Estonian Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Estonia is the northernmost Baltic state, on the Gulf of Finland, with the medieval city of Tallinn as its capital. Estonian is closely related to Finnish. Estonia is famous for its technology, and engineers there helped to create Skype. Estonians in Birmingham include professionals, students and families.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 90 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Estonian; and 49 residents gave Estonian 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

Estonian residents work in IT, engineering, business, healthcare and education. Estonia runs almost all of its public services online, and Estonian professionals bring experience of digital government and technology that is valued in Birmingham's growing digital economy.

Birmingham is one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe, and its progress has always depended on people who chose to make it home. Its hospitals, schools and universities, its building sites, workshops, warehouses and kitchens all rely on skills brought from around the world. The Estonian community adds its own share to that effort, and takes pride in giving back to the city that welcomed it.

Culture and community life

The Estonian Song Festival, recognised by UNESCO, brings tens of thousands of singers together, and singing helped Estonia win its freedom in 1991. Midsummer is celebrated with bonfires, and black bread, herring and kama, a flour mix eaten with buttermilk, are traditional foods.

The story of the Estonian community in Birmingham is still being written, by students, workers, parents and pensioners who call the city home. It is a story of hard work, friendship and quiet pride, and Birmingham is richer for it.