Bradford: the facts and figures

Bradford is 11 miles west of Leeds, and its district covers an area of 141 square miles. The city and surrounding area are currently undergoing over £2bn of construction work, creating over 6,000 new jobs.

Wool and textiles still play an important part in Bradford's economy, but today's fastest-growing sectors include information technology, financial services, digital industries, environmental technologies, cultural industries, tourism and retail headquarters and distribution. Bradford's reputation as a base for high technology, scientific and computer-based industries is growing, building on a long tradition of innovation, high skill levels and quality products.

More than half of Bradford’s district is green, open space, stretching over part of the Airedale and Wharfedale Valleys, across the hills and the breathtaking Pennine moorland between. The Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District are both within easy reach.

Bradford’s population 

• The city’s population is growing by a third more than the national average
• Approximately5 million people within a 60-minute drive of Bradford city centre
• The city’s working-age population has risen by 5.3% since 2004— outstripping the UK average and the City of London.

Business in Bradford

• Bradford’s GVA is over £6bn
• Manufacturing is still strong: it accounts for almost 12% of all jobs
• The city’s service-sector economy accounts for 82% of the district's 192,000 jobs
• The entrepreneurial spirit is more present in Bradford than generally in the UK, with start-ups accounting for 12% of the business community
• 3 of the UK’s biggest financial institutions are based in Bradford: Yorkshire Building Society, Bradford & Bingley Building Society, and Provident Financial.

Bradford’s economy

• Bradford has been named by research group OMIS as one of the top 6 cities in the UK equipped for future growth
• The CBI reports that business confidence is higher in Bradford than in the UK as a whole
• £1.5bn of construction work is transforming Bradford to become an ideal base for business investment
• Bradford’s exports are worth almost £700m

Tourism and leisure in Bradford

• Tourism is worth almost £409m to the local economy, and employs over 10,000 people
• Bradford District has 37 parks, including 10 English Heritage sites
• The National Media Museum is one of the most-visited museum outside London, with 600,000 visitors each year.

Education in Bradford

• The University of Bradford was ranked second in the UK for graduate employment by the Times Higher Education Supplement
• Recent Ofsted reports rank many Bradford schools as amongst the UK’s finest
• Bradford College is the UK’s largest provider of higher-education courses outside the university sector, with 23,000 students and 1,800 staff.

Transport

• Leeds Bradford International Airport, just 7 miles from the city centre, serves 70 destinations in 30 countries
• Bradford’s two central rail stations provide easy access to all parts of the UK, including direct trains to London.

Find out more information about investing in Bradford, Bradford’s regeneration and Bradford Metropolitan District Council.