New record for spending with bank cards in shops and businesses in Barcelona
Private consumption in Barcelona saw a nominal growth of 6.7% in the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, and 35.7% compared to the first half of 2019. Despite the fact that interest rates remain high, card spending reached a new high for this period, although the rate of growth is lower than previous years. The figures come from the report on private consumption in the first half of 2024, published by the Municipal Data Office (OMD) and showing the evolution of private consumption according to data on the use of debate/credit cards in shops and businesses in Barcelona.
For the Councillor for Economic Promotion and Employment, Raquel Gil, the figures “confirm the current economic dynamism of Barcelona, with a notable rise in spending in sectors that give life to the city, such as leisure, bars and restaurants and commerce”. “The growth in private consumption reflects the positive evolution of the labour market and the increase in disposable household income. And this positive dynamic is generalised in all the city’s districts”, noted the councillor.
According to the report, available here, the first six months of the year saw all the main spending sectors record positive year-on-year growth in spending, except for technology (-24.9%). The biggest rises came in the sector of tourism and restaurant services (+12.7%), in transport and the motor sector (+12.2%) and culture, leisure and sports (+11.3%). Consumption of primary goods and services rose by 5.3%, as did the consumption of clothing, footwear and fashion items (up by 4.6%).
The categories which recorded the biggest increases were leisure (+21.8%), bars and restaurants (+13.5%) and books and press (+8%). Compared to the first six months of 2019, the most notable increases were in the categories of leisure (+120%) and bars and restaurants (+82%). The rest of the categories also exceed their equivalent pre-pandemic values.