Birmingham’s youthful population boosts city night time economy
Birmingham’s reputation as the city with the youngest population in Europe is helping to boost the city’s night-time economy.
Currently, 40% of the city’s population is made up of the under 25s and many are keen to celebrate by enjoying the city’s nightlife.
This has been reinforced in the latest Deltic Night Index Report, which reveals that young people in Birmingham are more sociable than those in the rest of England, going out more times a week than people in London.
The quarterly report reveals that 14.5% of 18-21 year olds go out four to six times every week compared to 7.9% of Londoners. However, the UK’s keenest ‘nightlifers’ were in Belfast where 16.7% of 18-21 year olds said they went for a night out four to six times a week.
However, Brummies of all ages spent the least amount on drinks when enjoying a night out, spending on average £12.53.
The research report conducted by Censuswide looked into the UK late night economy and consumer trends of 2,477 British adults.
Peter Marks, chief executive of The Deltic Group – which operates the PRYZM nightclub, said: “The second Deltic Night Index shows that young people are drinking less alcohol than the older generations, but they’re still going out just as much and enjoying themselves in a club, bar or pub.
“It’s now less about alcohol and more about creating a fantastic night out – and we’re continuing to invest in our clubs, music offering and entertainment to make sure we’re giving our guests unforgettable experiences.”
The research shows that women have more willpower than men with those who partook in Dry January lasting almost 14 days on average versus men at 11 days. The average Brit who took part lasted 12 days before giving up, and one in seven Brits didn’t even make it to one week before having a drink.
The report also highlighted that Dry January is a more popular phenomenon with the younger generation. Almost half (45%) of 18-21 year olds took part this year, compared to only 17% of those aged 56 upwards.
Figures also showed that the January pay weekend was as popular as ever, with one in five Brits and specifically 40% of those aged 18-21, choosing to celebrate pay weekend by heading out to a club or bar. The average Brit who went for a late night out on the January pay weekend, spent £35.48, compared to £32.21 in Birmingham.
Deltic said the data supported the trend that although the younger generation is drinking less, bars and clubs continue to be a popular late night activity. Across all ages, the most popular reason given for a night out continues to be seeing friends or escaping the stresses of daily life, the latter reason becoming even more prevalent among 18-25 year olds, with almost half agreeing.
