Families in parts of our city face some of the worst cost-of-living struggles
15:39, 17 May 2026
Sparkhill is considered the poorest part of the country.(Image: Birmingham Post and Mail)
Birmingham has long suffered problems with deprivation and poverty but a recent study hammered this home in sobering fashion.
It revealed that the six poorest parts of England are all in Birmingham.
The study was based on average disposable income in neighbourhoods across the country.
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Many of the poorest areas were centred around east and south east Birmingham.
Sparkhill North is considered the poorest place in England on this metric.
Households in the area had an average disposable income – money left after bills and essentials are paid for – of just under £20,800 a year.
For the worst-off, the idea of disposable income might be a dream as all of their money is spent paying energy and council tax bills, and putting food on the table for the kids.
There’s often nothing left after all that, and some parents may even skip meals themselves.
Mum Aysha Aslam, 34, an IT project manager from Sparkhill, recently told BirminghamLive about her struggles, saying: “Myself and my husband are both working parents. As time’s gone on, we’re getting squeezed more and more.
“Council tax is increasing in Birmingham year on year, taxes in general are going up and your bills are going up.”
She added: “We try not to affect the children. But, the thing is, with clubs and extracurricular activities, it’s hard. You get them into activities and then you’re like, it is adding up.”
The other five poorest areas were Sparkbrook South, Small Heath Park, Saltley East, Washwood Heath and Bordesley Green.
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Other Birmingham areas like Aston, Lozells and Handsworth also suffer high rates of deprivation, though they were not among the six worst.
The gap between the country’s richest and poorest neighbourhoods is growing, the study showed, with those at the top having almost £87,000 more to spend a year than those at the bottom.
Holidays and family days out are seen as an everyday part of life for these households rather than a distant and unachievable luxury.
Just 1% of West Midlands households are in the national top 10% when it comes to average disposable household income.
That compares to almost half (45%) of all neighbourhoods in London.