Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month – July 2026

What is South Asian Heritage Month?

South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) takes place each year – whereas previously it took place from mid-July to mid-August, from this year on it takes place during July.

SAHM seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories and communities. It seeks to understand the diverse heritage and cultures that continue to link the UK with South Asia.

Countries in South Asia are: Afghanistan; Bangladesh; Bhutan; India; the Maldives; Nepal; Pakistan; Sri Lanka. A map is available here

More information is available about SAHM here: https://southasianheritage.org.uk/south-asian-heritage-month/

2026 Theme

The 2026 theme is ‘Unity in Diversity’. This is about celebrating the extraordinary breadth and richness of South Asian communities in the UK and worldwide. South Asia is a region of extraordinary diversity: eight countries, hundreds of languages, multiple faiths, and millennia of shared and distinct histories.

This theme invites us to explore what unites us across these differences, shared values, intertwined histories, a common commitment to community and belonging, while celebrating the beauty and the strength that diversity brings.

Further information on the theme is available here: https://southasianheritage.org.uk/south-asian-heritage-month/#2026-theme

Spotlight on South Asian Faith Communities

BVSC want to support the Birmingham Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector to celebrate and raise awareness of South Asian Heritage Month.

Raising awareness of diverse communities across Birmingham is part of our action plan in our VCFSE Sector Mini Race Impact Summit Position Paper and part of our shared ambition working with Birmingham Race Impact Group (BRIG) and partners to make Birmingham an Anti-Racist City.

This year we are looking to spotlight South Asian heritage Faith Communities across Birmingham. BVSC are members of the Birmingham Faith Covenant Partnership, with approximately 1/3 of Birmingham’s VCFSE organisations as a whole, being faith-based.

There is a great diversity of faith amongst South Asia, and amongst Birmingham South Asian heritage communities.

Faiths in South Asia

Faiths represented across South Asia include:

(Source: World Atlas Religious Composition of the Countries of South Asia https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-composition-of-the-countries-of-south-asia.html)

Country of Birth

At least 120,800 people (10.55% of Birmingham’s population) were born in South Asia (Census, 2021): 

Country of Birth

Count

Percent of Population

TOTAL Number

120,800

10.55%

Pakistan

67449

5.89%

India

27704

2.42%

Bangladesh

18966

1.66%

Afghanistan

4628

0.40%

Sri Lanka

1542

0.13%

Other Southern Asia

511

0.04%

(Source: ONS, Country of Birth: Detailed https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS012/editions/2021/versions/1?showAll=country_of_birth_60a)

Ethnicity

There are a larger number of people of South Asian ethnicity across Birmingham, with at least 328,674 (28.71% of Birmingham’s population) of South Asian ethnicity or heritage:

Ethnicity

Count

Percent of Population

Pakistani or British Pakistani

195102

17.04%

Indian or British Indian

66519

5.81%

Bangladeshi, British Bangladeshi

48232

4.21%

Kashmiri

8224

0.72%

Afghan

5293

0.46%

Sri Lankan

1672

0.15%

Sikh

1297

0.11%

Mixed South Asian

671

0.06%

Nepali (includes Gurkha)

495

0.04%

Punjabi

448

0.04%

Tamil

404

0.04%

Mauritian/Seychellois/Maldivian/Sao Tomean/St Helenian

219

0.02%

Sinhalese

86

0.01%

Anglo Indian

12

0.00%

TOTAL

328674

28.71%

(Source: ONS Ethnic Group (Detailed) https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS022/editions/2021/versions/1)

Religion by Ethnicity in Birmingham City

The table below provides details of religion by the three largest South Asian ethnic groups in Birmingham City.

This shows that there is a large faith diversity amongst Birmingham’s South Asian communities:

  • Those who identify as Muslim are the largest South Asian faith group across Birmingham – primarily due to the large Pakistani population
  • Sikh and Hindu faith groups are the largest faith groups amongst the Indian community
  • There is significant Christian population (6.8%) amongst the Indian community
  • A significant percentage (4.3%) of the Indian community have no religion

 

 

Pakistani

 (17.0%)

Indian (5.80%)

Bangladeshi (4.20%)

Muslim

93.70%

14.40%

93.20%

Not Answered

5.30%

4.60%

5.10%

No religion

0.60%

4.30%

0.90%

Hindu

0.00%

28.80%

0.40%

Christian

0.20%

6.80%

0.30%

Sikh

0.00%

38.20%

0.00%

Other Religion

0.10%

2.50%

0.00%

Buddhist

0.00%

0.30%

0.00%

(Source: Birmingham City Observatory, Birmingham Community Profiles based on 2021 Census)

Faith Community Map

Birmingham Council of Faiths: Footsteps have produced a faith community map showing places of worship and faith based community projects across Birmingham City

To share your community’s story please complete details here:

If your organisation would like to share a story from your South Asian Community, please submit an article here: www.bvsc.org/pages/post

Let us Know About Your Events

If your organisation is running a South Asian Heritage Month event, or an event connected to the South Asian community, please let us know!

To share your community’s event please complete details here: www.bvsc.org/forms/advertise-event

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

Find out more

South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM): https://southasianheritage.org.uk/south-asian-heritage-month/
VCFSE Race Equality: www.bvsc.org/vcfse-mris
VCFSE Sector MRIS Position Paper: https://www.wearebrig.co.uk/position-papers
Making Birmingham an Anti-Racist City: https://www.bvsc.org/news/bvsc-signs-historic-anti-racist-pledge-publishes-position-paper
Birmingham Race Impact Group (BRIG): https://www.wearebrig.co.uk/
BCF: Footsteps Faith Community Map: https://www.bvsc.org/birmingham-faith-community-map
Share Your Community’s Story: www.bvsc.org/pages/post
Share Your Community’s Event: www.bvsc.org/forms/advertise-event
Questions: [email protected]

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