About the West Midlands

The West Midlands area is often thought of as urban; however, approximately 80% of the area is rural. 

The local authorities that make up the West Midlands

• Birmingham www.birmingham.gov.uk
• Cannock Chase www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk
• Coventry www.coventry.gov.uk
• Dudley www.dudley.gov.uk
• East Staffordshire www.eaststaffsbc.gov.uk
• Herefordshire www.herefordshire.gov.uk
• Lichfield www.lichfielddc.gov.uk
• Malvern Hills www.malvernhills.gov.uk
• Newcastle-under-Lyme www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk
• North Warwickshire www.northwarks.gov.uk
• Nuneaton & Bedworth www.nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk
• Redditch www.redditchbc.gov.uk
• Rugby www.rugby.gov.uk
• Sandwell www.sandwell.gov.uk
• Shropshire www.shropshire.gov.uk
• Solihull www.solihull.gov.uk
• South Staffordshire www.sstaffs.gov.uk
• Stafford www.staffordbc.gov.uk
• Staffordshire www.staffordshire.gov.uk
• Staffordshire Moorlands www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk
• Stoke on Trent www.stoke.gov.uk
• Stratford-on-Avon www.stratford.gov.uk
• Tamworth www.tamworth.gov.uk
• Telford & Wrekin Council www.telford.gov.uk
• Walsall www.walsall.gov.uk
• Warwick www.warwickdc.gov.uk
• Warwickshire www.warwickshire.gov.uk
• Wolverhampton www.wolverhampton.gov.uk
• Worcester www.worcester.gov.uk
• Worcestershire www.worcestershire.gov.uk 
• Wychavon www.wychavon.gov.uk
• Wyre Forest www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in the West Midlands

• Black Country www.blackcountrylep.co.uk @BlackCountryLEP - the LEP covers the local authority district areas of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
• Coventry & Warwickshire www.cwlep.com @CW_LEP - the LEP covers the local authority district areas of Coventry, North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick.
• Greater Birmingham & Solihull centreofenterprise.com @GBSLEP - the LEP area encompasses the Birmingham and Solihull Metropolitan Core, Southern Staffordshire and Northern Worcestershire.
• The Marches www.marcheslep.org.uk @MarchesLEP - the LEP area covers Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin.
• Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire www.stokestaffslep.org.uk @StokeStaffsLEP - the LEP encompasses the local authority areas of Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Staffordshire, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke-on-Trent.
• Worcestershire www.wlep.co.uk @WorcsLEP - the LEP encompasses the county of Worcestershire

Industrial and social history

The West Midlands has a rich heritage and is well known for achievements in science, industry, art and culture. Almost every part of the West Midlands was involved in industrial development during the industrial revolution. For example, Birmingham had gun, silverware and toy industries, Shrewsbury was known for its flax spinning, pottery and china industries thrived in Staffordshire, as did carpet manufacturing in Kidderminster and silk weaving in Coventry.

Leading innovators also contributed to social change, campaigning against slavery and for the relief of poverty and the advancement of education.

Some West Midlands statistics

Did you know…

• It is estimated that a total of 5,267,337 people live in the West Midlands (2014)
• The estimated number of working age adults is 3,293,800 (2011)
• Of this, the number of working age men is 1,731,800 (2011)
• Of this, the number of working age women is 1,727,700 (2011)
• It is estimated that the total BME population in the West Midlands is 1,167,514 (2011)
• The total white British population in the West Midlands is estimated to be 4,434,333 (2011)
• The 2001 census indicates that migration into the West Midlands in that year was 566,508
• Of this 84,137 migrated from within the UK and 23,506 migrated from outside of the UK.

(Source: ONS, data prepared by WMRO)

Find out more about the West Midlands voluntary and community sector.