Konkani Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Konkani is the official language of Goa and is also spoken in coastal Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala. Its speakers include Goan and Mangalorean Catholic families, Hindu communities and others, many of whom have long traditions of working and studying abroad.

The community in numbers

The 2021 Census does not publish a separate Birmingham figure for the Konkani community, which is counted within the census's figures for Indian heritage and for other South Asian languages. 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

Members of the Konkani-speaking community in Birmingham work as nurses, doctors, engineers, accountants, teachers and hospitality professionals. Many families came through East Africa or the Gulf before settling in Britain, and they bring experience from many countries to their work in the city.

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, Konkani residents are helping to build that future, and to make Birmingham a stronger, fairer and more welcoming city.

Culture and community life

Konkani families celebrate Christmas, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali and harvest feasts, depending on their faith and region. Konkani songs and hymns, coastal fish curries and sweets made with coconut and jaggery are part of family life, and community groups work hard to pass the language on to the next generation.

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 Konkani community is a warm part of that everyday exchange.