2 min readThe Our Manchester Strategy 2025-35 sets the city’s priorities for the next ten years. Priorities chosen by many thousands of the public who fed their ambitions for the city.
It details the goals that everyone in our city, including our public, private, voluntary and community organisations and our residents – will work on together to build the best possible future for Manchester in the next decade.
In spring 2024 we gathered views from over 10,000 responses from people across the city. We’ve been careful to listen to as many voices as possible. We’ve listened to how different groups and communities value different things about our city’s life and character.
Manchester today
Between 2015 and 2024 Manchester’s population increased by an estimated 92,000, meaning that 627,700 people now call this city home.
- 43% of residents describe themselves as belonging to a minority ethnic community.
- 77.3% of people have a college-level qualification, and far fewer people have no qualifications.
In the last ten years, the city has also overcome some huge challenges. From the Manchester Arena attack of 2017 to the COVID pandemic. But we have achieved some great successes:
- More schools are classed as good or outstanding.
- Investing in people through becoming a Real Living Wage City, a United Nations City of Lifelong Learning and a Child Friendly City.
- Hosting major national and international sporting, cultural and business events.
- Investing in culture through new venues like HOME, Aviva Studios and Co-op Live. Updating The Whitworth, Manchester Jewish Museum and Contact MCR, all celebrated in the newly established Manchester Cultural Awards.
- Investing in the wider city through the regeneration of places like Ancoats, Beswick, Collyhurst, Miles Platting and New Islington and Wythenshawe.
- Being recognised as one of the best places in the world to visit, work, learn or set up a business.
- Since 2015 the city has added 103,000 new jobs.
