Economy, jobs and prices in Barcelona, Spain: official figures
The unemployment rate in Barcelona was 7.9% in 2024 (8.0% for women, 7.8% for men).
7.9%
What are the main jobs in Barcelona?
1,512,320 jobs were based in Barcelona in 2024; the biggest employers were trade, transport, hotels and restaurants (27% of jobs) and public administration, education and health (22%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many cars are there in Barcelona?
There were 279 registered cars per 1,000 residents in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 72% of people in Barcelona were satisfied with public transport (EU quality of life in European cities survey, 2023). Source: Eurostat · saved copy
- 23% of people in Barcelona agreed that it is easy to find a good job in the city (EU quality of life in European cities survey, 2023). Source: Eurostat · saved copy
How Barcelona compares with other cities in Spain
Unemployment rate (2024)
Barcelona ranks 43 of 45, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | Santander | 8.7% |
| 40 | Vitoria-Gasteiz | 8.6% |
| 41 | Lleida | 8.4% |
| 42 | Pamplona/Iruña | 8.0% |
| 43 | Barcelona | 7.9% |
| 44 | Zaragoza | 7.5% |
| 45 | Burgos | 7.3% |
Cars per 1,000 residents (2024)
Barcelona ranks 45 of 45, highest first.
| Rank | City | Cars per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | Madrid | 397 |
| 40 | Bilbao | 393 |
| 41 | València | 390 |
| 42 | Mataró | 376 |
| 43 | Zaragoza | 366 |
| 44 | Cádiz | 359 |
| 45 | Barcelona | 279 |
More on Barcelona: overview · health · poverty and living standards · government and politics · all cities in Spain
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_clma: Urban Audit: labour market (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 be050965f9c6…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_percep: Quality of life in European cities survey 2023: perception (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81bd3e277f3e…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ctran: Urban Audit: transport (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c4e74aa07496…)
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