Papua New Guinean Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and many smaller islands, north of Australia. More than eight hundred languages are spoken there, more than in any other country. English, Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu are official languages. Papua New Guineans in Britain include students and professionals.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 159 people living in the city had been born in Oceania outside Australia and New Zealand.

Working for Birmingham

Papua New Guineans in Britain study and work in fields such as healthcare, education, mining, environmental science and development. Many come on scholarships and return home to senior roles in government and industry.

Every community that has settled in Birmingham has helped to shape it. Newcomers have filled gaps in the workforce, opened shops and restaurants, and raised children who have gone on to become the city's doctors, teachers, engineers and entrepreneurs. The Papua New Guinean community is part of that tradition of hard work and ambition, and of the city's own motto: Forward.

Culture and community life

Sing-sings, gatherings where groups perform traditional songs and dances in spectacular costumes, are the heart of Papua New Guinean culture. Bilums, string bags woven by hand, are a national craft, and mumu, food cooked in an earth oven, is shared at celebrations.

In a city where scores of languages are spoken, the Papua New Guinean 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.