Your Guide to Office Space in Birmingham

In recent years, Birmingham has established itself as a force to be reckoned with; it’s a vibrant, diverse city full of energy and enthusiasm. Its strong entrepreneurial spirit is bolstered by the fact that it’s home to the highest number of startups outside of London. It’s no surprise that office space in Birmingham is in high demand.

As the UK’s second-largest business hub, the city has enjoyed a fast-growing local economy. According to Knight Frank’s 2020 Birmingham Market Update, the city's rising attraction has meant that in the last ten years, its population has grown by almost 10%, with 100,000 additional people calling it home.

According to data from the ONS, Birmingham was also the most popular destination for those deciding to leave London in 2018 – ahead of reputable alternatives such as Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. While a number of these movers were young workers and families, the regular student influx made up a large portion of the figure thanks to the city's fantastic universities.

In fact, the city is a strong hub for attracting and retaining top talent. Data from the Centre for Cities shows that Birmingham is the third-best performing spot in the UK for attracting graduates who have no prior links to the city. And for those that do decide to study here, they're likely to stay on after graduating. The 2019 Knight Frank/UCAS Student Accommodation Survey revealed that 40% of final year students said they planned to stay put in Birmingham after finishing their degrees.

Beyond its thriving business landscape and exceptional talent pool, Birmingham has also been dubbed the ‘youngest city in Europe’, with nearly 40% of its population under the age of 25.

Though Birmingham is the second-largest city in the UK, it’s nothing less than scenic; the city is punctuated by 35 miles of canals (a number said to be greater than Venice). Though these were the backbone of Birmingham’s Industrial Revolution – often used to transport iron, coal and other heavy goods – today, they are enjoyed by narrowboat owners, cyclists and long lunchbreak enthusiasts.

Situated right in the centre of the UK, Birmingham is within a four-hour drive for 90% of the population, and can easily be reached by air, road and rail. In fact, Birmingham Airport connects 13 million passengers on average to over 140 destinations each year, and this is set to reach 18 million passengers a year by 2033 thanks to a £500m expansion plan.

Birmingham will also be at the very heart of the new HS2 network, which will shorten a trip to the capital by 38 minutes and improve Birmingham’s connectivity to northern regions. Plus, as the chosen host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and with Birmingham New Street set to become the first 5G connected train station in the UK, the city’s global presence will only be strengthened in the years to come.