// CITY_ASSESSMENT

How smart is Birmingham?

Birmingham, United Kingdom, scores 72.8% against the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework in 2026 — ranked #8 of 75 cities assessed, with every finding traceable to a public source.

Smart score

72.8%

Rank

#8 / 75

Criteria present

60 / 86

Evidence coverage

76.7%

Birmingham's smart city score by area

Data, Digital & Smart Foundation96%

11 present · 1 partial · 0 absent · 3 not assessed

Mobility & Transport100%

5 present · 0 partial · 0 absent · 7 not assessed

Environment, Energy & Climate100%

12 present · 0 partial · 0 absent · 1 not assessed

Infrastructure, Water & Waste80%

7 present · 2 partial · 1 absent · 1 not assessed

Health, Education, Safety & Inclusion75%

8 present · 2 partial · 2 absent · 1 not assessed

Economy, Innovation & Employment100%

6 present · 0 partial · 0 absent · 2 not assessed

Governance, Resilience & Operating Model88%

11 present · 1 partial · 1 absent · 1 not assessed

Where Birmingham is strong

  • Connectivity & ICT Infrastructure
  • Air Quality & Monitoring
  • Climate Action & Emissions
  • Green Space & Biodiversity
  • Housing & Urban Planning

Where the gaps are

  • Inclusion & Civic Participation
  • Climate Adaptation & Heat
  • Solid Waste & Circular Economy

Evidence highlights

Digital Government Services · Unified online services portal

The Birmingham City Council website functions as an online services portal, providing an account system and enabling online transactions such as paying business rates.

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/

Digital Government Services · Digital identity / single sign-on

Birmingham City Council provides a 'Brum Account' system for residents, suggesting a form of digital identity or single sign-on for accessing services.

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/brumaccount

Digital Government Services · Online payments for taxes & fees

Birmingham City Council allows for online payments of business rates through its official website.

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20111/business_rates/343/pay_your_business_rates

Connectivity & ICT Infrastructure · Public Wi-Fi network

Birmingham offers free Wi-Fi in public spaces, with the city council providing information on free Wi-Fi and a directory of Wi-Fi zones.

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20028/visiting_birmingham/1036/free_wifi_in_birmingham

About this assessment

Birmingham was assessed against the 86 criteria of the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework on 2026-07-01 by AI agents gathering evidence from official public sources. Each criterion is marked present, partial or absent, and every finding links to where it was found — see how smart cities are measured. Scores refresh continuously as cities publish new evidence.