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 The population of the sub-region approaches 1.2 million (977,091 in Birmingham and 199,521 in Solihull), which is approximately 23% of the West Midlands population. Overall indices of disadvantage are much higher than nationally, with significant deprivation in many wards. Over 20% of the population are of ethnic minority origin.
There are significant clusters of underachievement in the Birmingham and Solihull area resulting in the subregion having the highest proportion of individuals with low-level or no qualifications. The proportion of pupils gaining five or more GCSEs is below the national average and the average point score at A Level is close to, but below, the national average. Evidence suggests that pupils of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, African-Carribbean origin and young white males from economic/socially-disadvantaged backgrounds are not fulfilling their potential. There are significant disparities between the higher education participation rates of Birmingham and Solihull (averaging around 26% and 35% respectively) although figures for much of North Solihull (less than 16%) are similar to those in the most disadvantaged wards of Birmingham.
Key employment sectors in the sub-region are manufacturing; distribution; professional and business services: education: construction: health and care: hospitality, tourism, leisure and retail: public services and creative, media and arts. It is estimated that most of these sectors (with the exception of manufacturing) will experience growth, particularly in occupations requiring higher level skills.
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