Population overview
Birmingham City Council signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2012.
The council works with the Birmingham Armed Forces Covenant Partnership, which brings together local and military organisations to support the armed forces community.
The partnership is chaired by Honorary Alderman Anita Ward, the council’s Armed Forces Champion. The Vice-Chair is Sheila Stephenson, engagement team lead for Army West Midlands.
Learn more about the Armed Forces Covenant.
About veteran data
Most data on veterans is only available at national or regional level. It is not always reliable.
This is because:
- the question is not always asked when people use services
- younger veterans may not call themselves veterans and prefer the term ex-service man or woman
Estimated veteran population in Birmingham
The 2021 Census asked people if they had served in the UK Armed Forces. In Birmingham:
- 17,771 people identified as veterans
- 12,256 had served in the regular Armed Forces
- 4,814 had served as reserves
This means around 2% of people aged 16 and over in Birmingham are veterans.
Across the West Midlands, around 4% of people aged 16 and over are veterans.
Page last updated: 25 October 2025