Government and politics in Catalonia, Spain: official figures
Catalonia entered 2026 without a new budget law: its government is spending under a rolled-over (prorrogado) budget first approved for 2023, worth €45.96 billion in total according to the Ministry of Finance.
How many people work for the government of Catalonia?
The regional government public sector of Catalonia, including its health service, schools and public universities, employed 264,972 people in January 2026, 2nd largest of 19 regional workforces.
Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública · saved copyWho employs public sector workers in Catalonia?
Of the 386,110 public employees in Catalonia in January 2026, 68.6% worked for the regional government, 24.8% for local councils and provincial bodies and 6.6% for the national state (Spain overall: 62.8% regional).
Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública · saved copyHow many national police and Guardia Civil are there in Catalonia?
The central state employed 25,378 people in Catalonia in January 2026: 15,841 in the state administration, 8,752 in the armed forces, National Police and Guardia Civil, and 785 in the courts.
Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública · saved copyHow many soldiers and police work in Catalonia?
Soldiers, National Police officers and Guardia Civil made up 2.3% of all public employees in Catalonia in January 2026, the lowest of 19.
Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública · saved copyHow Catalonia compares with other autonomous communities
Share of public employees working for the regional (or city) government, January 2026 (2026)
Catalonia ranks 8 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of public employees working for the regional (or city) government, January 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Basque Country | 71.8% |
| 6 | Murcia | 69.5% |
| 7 | Galicia | 68.9% |
| 8 | Catalonia | 68.6% |
| 9 | Valencian Community | 66.2% |
| 10 | Castilla-La Mancha | 63.7% |
| 11 | Canary Islands | 62.8% |
Regional public sector employees, January 2026 (2026)
Catalonia ranks 2 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Regional public sector employees, January 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andalusia | 337,755 |
| 2 | Catalonia | 264,972 |
| 3 | Madrid | 236,625 |
| 4 | Valencian Community | 189,571 |
| 5 | Galicia | 120,132 |
| 6 | Castilla y León | 108,299 |
| 7 | Basque Country | 106,352 |
Women as a share of regional public sector employees, January 2026 (2026)
Catalonia ranks 17 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Women as a share of regional public sector employees, January 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Murcia | 69.4% |
| 14 | Castilla-La Mancha | 69.1% |
| 15 | Extremadura | 68.8% |
| 16 | Andalusia | 67.1% |
| 17 | Catalonia | 65.5% |
| 18 | Ciudad de Melilla | 43.9% |
| 19 | Ciudad de Ceuta | 39.4% |
More on Catalonia: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Spain
Sources
- Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública: Estadística del Personal al Servicio de las Administraciones Públicas (EPSAP), January 2026, tables 1.6, 1.6.1 and 1.7, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cade1d2eea7b…)
- Ministerio de Hacienda: Presupuestos Generales de las Comunidades Autónomas, año 2026 (resumen ejecutivo, published 31 March 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81db80f35219…)
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