University of Birmingham - Economic and Social Impact infographics

The University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in of one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. England’s first civic university, we have been pursuing and sharing knowledge through outstanding teaching and research since 1900.

Here are some of the ways the University of Birmingham contributes to its city, region and country:

  • We contribute £4.4 million every year to the UK economy – more than the West Midlands’s car manufacturing industry (£3.562 billion)
  • 1 in 50 jobs in Birmingham are directly supported by the University – we support nearly 20,000 FTE jobs in the UK and more than 13,000 of those are in the West Midlands
  • Our research and knowledge transfer activity contributes £1.4 billion to the economy – every £1 million of research income generates £2.28 million of impact in the UK economy, of which £1.50 million is accrued in the West Midlands
  • Our teaching is worth £1.3 billion to the economy – we ranked 1st out of Russell Group institutions in Great Britain for UK domiciled graduates in sustained employment and/or further study five years after graduation.
  • [XX] % of our students are first generation from their family to attend university – we work with [XXX] school pupils across the West Midlands to raise aspirations
  • Through tuition fee income and local spending, our international students generate £690 million of economic impact – every seven international students studying at the University generate £1 million to the UK economy
  • The impact of the University’s expenditure is £908 million – 45% of the University’s procurement expenditure in 2021/22 took place in the West Midlands, with 24% in Birmingham
  • The University trained more than 5,300 teachers, social workers, nurses, doctors and dentists and supported its students and graduates to start more than 60 new businesses
  • Staff volunteer at least 39,000 hours and students volunteer [XX,XXX] hours each year, supporting local community groups and charities
  • We have [XXX,XXX] alumni across the world – an alumni survey showed that the majority of alumni believe that their degree helped them get a better job and to prepare them for their career. They also believe that their degree helped improve a wide range of skills (e.g. critical thinking; analytical, writing, and communication skills)
  • We attracted approximately 870,000 attendees to public events – our city centre space The Exchange, museums, the Barber Institute of Fine Art, Winterbourne House and Gardens, and two concert halls bringing cultural richness to our communities
  • The economic impact of tourism associated with us is £46 million – with 26,000 overnight trips to Birmingham linked with us.

Return to the Economic and Social Impact report