Guatemalan Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Guatemala lies in Central America, south of Mexico, and is home to the great Maya city of Tikal, volcanoes and Lake Atitlan. Spanish is the official language, and more than twenty Maya languages are also spoken. Guatemalans in Britain include students and professionals.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 329 people living in the city had been born in Central America, a group that includes Guatemala; and 976 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Hispanic or Latin American.

Working for Birmingham

Guatemalan residents study and work in fields such as education, healthcare, business and development. Guatemala is one of the world's leading producers of coffee and cardamom, and Guatemalans bring a strong interest in agriculture and sustainability.

Healthcare, education and the skilled trades are three of the pillars of the city's economy. The NHS is one of Birmingham's biggest employers, its universities teach tens of thousands of students, and there is steady demand for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, decorators and handymen in every neighbourhood, alongside business, transport, hospitality, retail and the city's growing digital and creative industries. People from every background keep these sectors running, and the Guatemalan community shares in that effort.

Culture and community life

Guatemalan textiles, woven in bright Maya patterns, are admired worldwide, and Holy Week in the city of Antigua is famous for its carpets of coloured sawdust and flowers. Pepian, a spiced stew, is the national dish.

In a city where scores of languages are spoken, the Guatemalan 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.