Kurdish Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

The Kurds are a people of the Middle East whose homeland stretches across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Kurdish is their language, with several dialects. Many Kurds came to Britain from the 1990s onwards, and Kurdish families in Birmingham come from all four countries.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 4,259 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Kurdish; and 3,271 residents gave Kurdish as their main language. Main language figures leave out the many bilingual residents who use English day to day, so the number who speak the language at home is higher still.

Working for Birmingham

Kurdish families run barbers, restaurants, car washes, grocery shops and building firms across Birmingham, and many work in construction, transport and retail. Kurdish-heritage doctors, engineers, interpreters and teachers serve the whole city, and young Kurds are studying at its colleges and universities.

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

Culture and community life

Newroz, the new year on 21 March, is the most important Kurdish celebration, marked with fires, dancing and colourful clothes. Kurdish music, with its songs of love and longing, and the halparke circle dance are central to weddings and festivals. Kurdish bread and grilled dishes are shared with pride.

Birmingham's strength lies in its variety, and the Kurdish 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.