Tongan Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom made up of more than 170 islands in the South Pacific. It is the only Pacific nation that was never fully colonised. Tongan and English are official languages. Tongans in Britain include rugby players, students and families.

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

Tongans in Britain are known above all for rugby, and Tongan players have played for clubs across the country. Others work in healthcare, education, security and business, and churches are at the heart of Tongan community life.

Birmingham grew rich as the city of a thousand trades, and that spirit of making and doing is still strong. Today the trades sit alongside healthcare, education, finance, law, logistics and technology. The Tongan community brings energy to that mix, from people starting small businesses to those caring for patients, teaching in classrooms and keeping homes and workplaces in good repair.

Culture and community life

The Sipi Tau, a war dance performed by the national rugby team, is a proud symbol of Tongan identity. Church and family are central to Tongan life, and feasts, known as kai pola, are laid out on long trays for celebrations. Tapa cloth, made from bark, is a treasured craft.

Like so many of the communities that make up modern Birmingham, the Tongan community shows how a city can be home to many cultures at once. Its members are proud of where they come from, and just as proud to be Brummies.