Birmingham 2022 Delivers £1.2bn For UK Economy
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games delivered £1.2bn for the UK economy, an independent evaluation report has revealed.
According to the post-games report, which was led by the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Birmingham 2022 could generate £150m in social value over the long term, due to subsequent enhancements in wellbeing and increases in employment.
The Games has so far contributed £79.5m in social value and provided 22,380 years of full-time employment.
Meanwhile, the West Midlands region saw a 27% uptick in Foreign Direct Investment projects over the two-year period between 2021 and 2023.
Birmingham 2022 activities engaged a 6.9 million people in total, with that figure comprising attendees, participants, volunteers and employees.
The last edition of the Commonwealth Games marked the largest multi-sport event to be staged in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic Games.
UK Sports Minister, Stuart Andrew, said, “With over 1.5 million tickets sold, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was a record-breaking event that is still having a positive impact on the region two years on.
“This report shows that hosting major sporting events in this country boosts growth, creates jobs and has a lasting social impact for communities and some of the world’s best athletes will once again descend on Birmingham for the European Athletics Championships in 2026.”
West Midlands Growth Company CEO Neil Rami added, “The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games – and our dedicated Business and Tourism Programme – contributed to a record year of performance for the West Midlands.
“The region witnessed the UK’s highest growth rate in FDI and an unprecedented 141 million visitors in 2022 – smashing the previous record set before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These figures are an emphatic endorsement of the West Midlands’ world-class event-hosting capability. They reinforce the powerful role of sporting events in enhancing profile, uplifting economies and capturing hearts and minds.”
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