Key Facts and Figures - Snapshot
About Sandwell: Sandwell is a metropolitan borough which was formed in 1974, and is one of seven authorities that makes up the West Midlands conurbation. The Sandwell Borough comprises of 6 towns – Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich.
Population: Sandwell has a population of 292,800 (June 2010). The population of the area fell considerably from the late 1960s until the early 2000s, however this trend has now been reversed and a small population growth is apparent. It is projected to rise by 1,500 per year to 2033. Click for more information
Ethnicity: Sandwell is an ethnically diverse borough, in the ten years between 1991 and 2001, the black and minority ethnic (BME) population increased by 6% to 20%, with the rate of growth being most pronounced amongst the Asian communities. By 2009, the proportion of BME* population was estimated to have increased to 23.3% (June 2009). Click for more information
Health: In absolute terms, health in Sandwell has been improving over time, though at a slower rate than the country as a whole. Life expectancy in Sandwell is 74.9 years for men and 80.7 for women, compared to the national figures of 78.3 and 82.3 years respectively (3 year rolling average 2007/09). Click for Sandwell Health Profile 2011 (Department of Health) Or Child Health Profile 2011 (Child and Maternal Health Observatory).
Economy: In Sandwell (February 2012) 14,146 people claimed Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), which accounts for 7.7% of the local working age population (16-64) compared to 5.1% (West Midlands) and 4.1% (Great Britain).
Housing: In March 2009, Sandwell had approximately 126,000 dwellings of which 24% were council housing, 5% registered social housing and 71% in the private sector. This compared to the local authority averages across England of 8%, 10% and 82% respectively.
Environment: Sandwell has an area of 8,600ha and is at the centre of both the motorway network and local conurbation, meaning there is heavy traffic crossing the borough. Sandwell has the highest proportion of its area given to parks and open spaces of any of the West Midlands Metropolitan Districts: 15.2% compared to an average of 10.6% in the West Midlands county area. Sandwell’s open space is concentrated in the Sandwell Valley and Rowley Hills (2005).