Birmingham came out as the second highest-scoring English city after London in the latest list from Resonance which ranked 100 European destinations as places to live, work and invest in 2025.
The West Midlands city of Birmingham was listed as the 30th best city in Europe in the new report, which scored each of the 100 locations based on their liveability, loveability and prosperity.
With an estimated metro population of 3,098,000, Birmingham is often viewed as the UK’s ‘second city’ after London. In the report, it was recognised in particular for its attractions and its nightlife, as well as its ‘golden decade’ of growth before Covid hit – which Resonance notes has now resumed.
During the 2010s, Birmingham’s young workforce (with around 40% of residents aged under 25) attracted a “massive influx of Fortune 500 regional offices”, with a particular focus on the city’s strength in the finance and professional services sectors.
The University of Birmingham was also lauded for its major contribution towards the city’s particularly high score for nightlife, where it ranked among the top 10 out of all European cities. The thriving student scene, leading onto a high level of graduate retention, has led to huge demand in the private rented sector in recent years, sparking a wave of interest from property investors that looks set to continue as the city expands.
Strong investment outlook
Birmingham has undergone – and continues to benefit from – huge urban investment, with multiple regeneration projects ongoing and in the pipeline, adding a further boost to the city’s prosperity.
Resonance highlights the city’s plans to open Europe’s largest library as part of this investment, as well as the upcoming HS2 (high-speed rail) network that will connect it to London in as little as 45 minutes.
The fact that Birmingham is currently penned to be the end of the line, with the northern leg of the network being canned by the previous government, is set to provide a further boost to the city as it benefits from “the terminus effect”, leading to greater interest from businesses.
Birmingham ranked number six overall for its attractions, which range from Cadbury World and the National Sea Life Centre to the Aston Villa stadium and the transformed Bullring Shopping Centre.
Birmingham’s big plans
The city’s airport is currently undergoing a £294m investment plan to increase its capacity to 18 million passengers by 2033. This is set to ramp up international travel to Birmingham, with the city expected to increasingly be seen as a viable alternative to London from a business perspective thanks to the fast connection via HS2.
Growth in the life sciences and green technology clusters around the city are creating a “staggering” number of new jobs, notes the report, with both the government and private local companies like Land Rover and Jaguar “rushing towards renewables”.
Another recent big business move to the city was national tourism agency VisitBritain/VisitEngland, which moved its headquarters there last year; and the expectation is that more business moves will be on the way as the investment outlook continues to accelerate.
Top UK cities
London, with one of the largest populations in Europe at 12,434,823, ranked in the number one spot in Resonance’s report. It was celebrated in particular for its educational attainment and nightlife, although these attributes are among many that put the capital on the throne as the best city in Europe to live, work and invest.
Edinburgh also ranked highly, listed in 18th position, with highlights including its high air quality and its university.
Also in Scotland, Glasgow performed well in 28th position, while Liverpool was only slightly below Birmingham at number 32.
Manchester also made it into the top 40, listed in 36th position overall.
If you’re looking for a property investment opportunity to capitalise on the future growth of Birmingham, get in touch with BuyAssociation today to find out about our current and upcoming opportunities.
