Barcelona: population, economy and official figures

Barcelona is a province in Catalonia, Spain. Barcelona had 5,959,941 residents on 1 January 2025, 73.4% of Catalonia and 12.13% of Spain; 2nd largest of 59 provinces in Spain.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Barcelona: GDP per person was 40,300 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2023, 105% of the EU average (91% for Spain); 7th highest of 59 provinces in Spain.
• Poverty and living standards in Barcelona: 16.0% of people in the province of Barcelona lived on less than 60% of the national median income per consumption unit in 2024, the usual poverty-risk line, compared with 20.2% across Spain (11th lowest of 59).
• Government budget and revenue in Barcelona: Gross income per resident in Barcelona was €22,927 in 2024; income tax and social security contributions took 22.0% of it, more than the national share of 19.1% (2nd highest of 59).

More figures

• The INE income atlas counted 5,824,395 residents in Barcelona in 2024, with an average age of 43.3; 19.8% were 65 or over and 17.1% were foreign nationals. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy

Figures come from Spain's own official statistics and from Eurostat's regional statistics for NUTS 3 areas. Comparisons with the EU average use purchasing power standards (PPS), which adjust for price differences.

Other provinces in Catalonia

• Tarragona 875,530
• Girona 830,429
• Lleida 458,226

Up a level: Catalonia · all regions of Spain · how local power works in Spain

Sources

• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjangrp3: Population on 1 January (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4c748d3cba3a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Median age of the population (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7bf6ade55a0d…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Share of people aged 65 or over (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 17aa0d08ab9c…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec3: Live births (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cfda9b5f4ebd…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_gind3: Population change: demographic balance and crude rates by NUTS 3 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7548e948e15c…)
• Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Atlas de Distribución de Renta de los Hogares (ADRH) 2024: indicadores demográficos por provincias e islas (table 53776), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bc6dcbf12939…)
• Ministerio del Interior: Balance de Criminalidad, cuarto trimestre 2025: infracciones penales registradas en comunidades, provincias, islas y municipios de más de 20.000 habitantes, enero a diciembre 2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6b3532029406…)
• Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Atlas de Distribución de Renta de los Hogares (ADRH) 2024: indicadores de renta media y mediana por provincias e islas, 2015-2024 (table 53689), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 883851a1be5e…)
• Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Atlas de Distribución de Renta de los Hogares (ADRH) 2024: población con ingresos por unidad de consumo por debajo/encima de umbrales relativos, por sexo, provincias e islas (table 53694), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f50367749a3d…)
• Ministerio de Hacienda: Deuda viva de las Entidades Locales a 31/12/2025: ayuntamientos, diputaciones, consejos y cabildos insulares, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 831355e52dd9…)

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