Birmingham City Council: local authority assessment

Published: 13 May 2026 Page last updated: 13 May 2026

Assessment published: 13 May 2026

About Birmingham City Council

Demographics

Birmingham City Council is the largest metropolitan borough by population in England. Over the past 15 years, Birmingham has experienced significant investment and development, supported by its strategic location and transport links. This growth has brought new homes, jobs, and businesses, particularly in the city centre. The city comprises 69 wards and 10 parliamentary constituencies, with over 70 local centres serving as community hubs, offering access to services, jobs, and cultural spaces.

The metropolitan borough has a diverse community and is home to 1,183,617 people, an increase of 8.5% since 2011. 62.21% of the population are of working age (18-64), with 13.05% aged 65 and over and 24.74% under 18. The majority of the population of are White British (48.62%) with 31.04% Asian, 10.98% Black, Caribbean, or African, 4.80% mixed, and 4.50% Other. The local authority has an Index Multiple Deprivation score of 1 (with 1 being the most deprived) and is rated 4th out of 153 local authorities (1st being the most deprived). Life expectancy is 76.4 years for men compared to an average 79.1 years for England and 81.0 years for women compared to and England average of 83.0 years. In 2021 approximately 16.00% of people aged 18-64 and 21.7% of people aged 65 or over identified as disabled due to experiencing a long-term condition limiting their daily lives.

Birmingham City Council is located within the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (ICS). The local authority has strong links with the Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is made up of a partnership of NHS trusts, local authorities, Healthwatch, and voluntary sector organisations. Key NHS partners include the Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Birmingham City Council is a Labour-led local authority, which has 99 Councillors. There is currently 52 Labour, 22 Conservative, 13 Liberal Democrat, 7 Birmingham Independent, 2 Green Party, 3 Harborne and Quinton independent Councillors.

Financial facts

On the 19 September 2023, the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced the Government’s proposal to manage Birmingham City Council’s finances and governance. Whilst the statutory intervention is supporting the wider Council to move to a sustainable financial footprint, the intervention has not diminished or created risk in relation to the delivery of statutory duties under the Care Act 2014.
The local authority spend on Adult Social Care was £474,850,372 in 2024-2025, compared to a total spend on Adult Social Care of £428,468,517 in 2023-2024. The local authority spent £53,308,512 per 100,000 adults on Adult Social Care in 2024-2025.
The local authority has raised the full Adult Social Care precept for 2024-2025, with a value of 2%. Please note the amount raised through Adult Social Care precept varies from local authority to local authority.
Approximately 15,565 people were accessing long-term Adult Social Care support, and approximately 4,685 people were accessing short-term Adult Social Care support in 2024-2025. Local authorities spend money on a range of Adult Social Care services, including supporting individuals. No two care packages are the same and vary significantly in their intensity, duration, and cost.

This data is reproduced at the request of the Department of Health and Social Care. It has not been factored into our assessment and is presented for information purposes only.