Norwegian Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Norway lies along the western edge of Scandinavia, with a dramatic coastline of fjords reaching into the Arctic. Its capital is Oslo. Norwegians in Birmingham include students, academics and professionals, and Norway has a long tradition of sending students to British universities.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 51 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Norwegian.

Working for Birmingham

Norwegian residents study and work in medicine, engineering, energy, business and research, and many Norwegian students choose British universities for degrees in medicine and the sciences. Norway's expertise in energy and the sea is valued in engineering and research.

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

Culture and community life

Constitution Day on 17 May, celebrated with parades of children and flags, is the highlight of the Norwegian year. Brown cheese, salmon and waffles are much-loved foods, and Norwegians are famous for their love of the outdoors and skiing. Norway gives London a Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square every year, a thank you for British help during the Second World War, and the gesture is a source of pride for Norwegians across Britain.

In a city where scores of languages are spoken, the Norwegian community adds another voice to the conversation. Its members, old and new, are helping to make Birmingham the confident, outward-looking city it wants to be.