Paraguayan Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Paraguay is a landlocked country in the heart of South America, between Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. It is one of the few countries where an indigenous language, Guarani, is spoken by most of the population alongside Spanish. Paraguayans in Britain include students and professionals.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 2,281 people living in the city had been born in South America, a group that includes Paraguay; and 976 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Hispanic or Latin American.

Working for Birmingham

Paraguayan residents study and work in fields such as agriculture, business, education and engineering. Paraguay generates almost all its electricity from hydropower, including the huge Itaipu Dam, and Paraguayans bring an interest in renewable energy to their studies.

The city's future rests on the same things as its past: skills, enterprise and people willing to put in the hours. Whether in a hospital, a classroom, a lecture theatre, a van full of tools or a shop on a busy high street, Paraguayan residents are helping to build that future, and to make Birmingham a stronger, fairer and more welcoming city.

Culture and community life

Nanduti, a delicate lace shaped like a spider's web, is a famous Paraguayan craft, and the Paraguayan harp gives the country's music its distinctive sound. Sopa paraguaya, a solid corn bread despite its name, and chipa, cheese bread, are much-loved foods.

For anyone who wants to learn more, the best introduction is the simplest one: say hello. Birmingham's communities are at their best when they meet, share food and learn from one another, and the Paraguayan community is a warm part of that everyday exchange.