Samoan Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Samoa is an island nation in the South Pacific, made up of two main islands, Upolu and Savai'i. Samoan and English are official languages. The Samoan way of life, fa'a Samoa, places family and community at its heart. Samoans in Britain include rugby players, 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

Samoans in Britain are best known for rugby, and Samoan players have starred for clubs across the country. Others work in healthcare, education and business, and bring the strong community values of fa'a Samoa to their work.

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 Samoan community shares in that effort.

Culture and community life

The traditional Samoan tattoo, the tatau, gave the English language the word tattoo. The siva dance and the fiafia celebration are central to Samoan culture, and food cooked in an umu, an earth oven, is shared on Sundays after church.

The story of the Samoan 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.