Goan Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Goa lies on India's west coast and was ruled by Portugal for more than 450 years until 1961. Its people speak Konkani, and many Goan families are Catholic. Goans have travelled widely for work, and some came to Britain via Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, while others have arrived more recently, some holding Portuguese passports.

The community in numbers

The 2021 Census does not publish a separate Birmingham figure for the Goan community, which is counted within the census's figures for Indian heritage and, for some families, for people born in Portugal or East Africa. By any measure it is one of the city's smaller communities, which makes the ties between its members all the closer.

Working for Birmingham

Goans in Birmingham work in healthcare, hospitality, catering, engineering, finance and education. Goan chefs and hospitality workers have a strong reputation, and many members of the community work as nurses, care workers, teachers and office professionals, contributing to services across the city.

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 Goan community is part of that tradition of hard work and ambition, and of the city's own motto: Forward.

Culture and community life

The feast of St Francis Xavier on 3 December and Christmas are major occasions, and Goan families enjoy dishes such as fish curry and rice, vindaloo and bebinca, a layered coconut dessert. Music is central to Goan life, from church choirs to lively dances, and community associations bring Goans together across the region.

Birmingham's strength lies in its variety, and the Goan community is a welcome part of it. As the city continues to grow and change, that contribution will remain part of the story of a place that has always looked forward.