Birmingham vs. Manchester: The UK’s Second Largest City
There is no official ‘second city’ in the United Kingdom. This is instead an unofficial claim made by different cities: most notably Birmingham and Manchester. A ‘second city’ is one that is thought to be the second most important after the capital in terms of its size, population, and cultural importance.
Many different cities have historically claimed to be the second city. In the victorian era, this was not just the second city of the UK, but of the whole British Empire. In the early 1800s, many thought Dublin was the second city, and later on, in the same century, Glasgow and Liverpool were sometimes claimed to hold the title thanks to their labels as busy ports and productive centres for shipbuilding. Occasionally some noted that Calcutta, India could be seen as the second city in the empire as its population was so large.
This debate has continued into the modern-day. Birmingham has usually been seen as the second city since 1918. However, public opinion usually ranges from choosing Birmingham or Manchester as the second city. But how do the two really compare?
Size and Population
The Greater Manchester area has a population marginally larger than Birmingham: 2.6 million compared to 2.44 million. However, this includes built-up areas that are not strictly part of Manchester. In this category, then, Birmingham must be seen as the rightful second city.
Culture
Culturally, Manchester is a very important city. Manchester has been called the ‘Capital of the North’, partly for this reason. Manchester boasts many big names culturally, such as when it comes to the twentieth-century music scene. Prominent British artists like Oasis, the Smiths and Joy Division have all come from Manchester.
However, Birmingham boasts an equally prodigious history! Pioneers of heavy metal Black Sabbath started out in Aston. UB40, the Electric Light Orchestra and Duran Duran all began in Birmingham: meaning the city has produced artists from a wide range of genres.
Birmingham has more canals than Italy's Venice, complete with beautiful barges. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery boast the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world (excellent competition for Manchester’s Lowry gallery). Birmingham has the world-renowned Symphony Hall. This is not to mention Cadbury World, a great visitor attraction and historic centre of chocolate production in the UK. Culturally then, Birmingham wins out.
Universities and Education
Manchester University ranks 15th out of all the top universities in the UK as of 2020, while the University of Birmingham ranks 13th. While Birmingham places higher on league tables, Manchester has produced 25 Nobel Prize winners whilst Birmingham has produced eight. In this category then, Manchester probably beats Birmingham (just).
Public Opinion
Polls show that public opinion is almost equally divided over which is the second city. A 2007 survey commissioned by the BBC found that from 1000 people, 48% of people voted Manchester, and 40% voted Birmingham as the second city. In 2015 a YouGov survey showed 30% of people in the UK thought Manchester was the second city, while 20% thought Birmingham and 12% answered Edinburgh. This shows how much opinion matters in what people think about the UK’s second city. As it is something that is so unofficial, it is mostly just down to people's individual opinions. Birmingham and Manchester have their own benefits and things to offer, and the idea of the second city is (maybe) something than is personal and subjective.
Birmingham is still the second city to us at WeiPoint though.