Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

The report on the state of the city for 2021 reflects an upturn in economic activity, mainly in the job market, but also in culture and sports activity, despite the pandemic having heavily shaped the year again.

The document by the Municipal Data Office (OMD) shows the yearly evolution of data on health, population, economic activity, the labour market, mobility, environmental quality and all other aspects of people’s daily life in Barcelona.

Demographic effects

At the start of 2021, Barcelona had a population of 1,660,314 people, some 0.4% lower than in 2020. The exceptional nature of the situation caused by Covid-19 had an effect on migratory flow, bringing it to a halt, with the proportion of people of foreign origin increasing by just 0.7% and representing some 22.4% of the overall population.

Economic activity

As from the second quarter of the year, the city’s GNP reflected positive growth. The figures for consumer confidence are now back to pre-pandemic levels. Confidence among city commerce also reached pre-pandemic levels as from the fourth quarter of the year.

This steady reactivation of the economy was transferred to the labour market over the course of 2021. The number of people contributing to the social security system at the end of the year was 2.1% higher than the previous year. In 2021, the number of people furloughed dropped by over 90% compared to the same period in 2020. Since its peak in February 2021, unemployment also dropped by nearly 35,000 people over the last year (-32.5%).

Record number of people helped by social services

The number of people receiving support from social services in the city in 2021 was 97,500, the highest figure ever. The home help service and the telecare service had to adapt to the situation, with extra resources to protect those most in need.

Safety, housing and mobility

Insecurity continues to be the most serious issue in the city for 14.5% of those surveyed, a figure which dropped from 17.7% the year before, according to the Survey on Municipal Services 2021. In terms of the perception of safety in the city and the neighbourhood where people live, the assessment was better than last year. According to the survey, housing is regarded as the second most serious issue in the city.

The report also analyses the impact that the mobility restrictions for the pandemic have had on air quality. With demand for public transport substantially recovered and more traffic back on the roads, the city’s ring roads now carry more vehicles than at the end of 2019 (+4.1%), while levels inside the city are below those from before the pandemic.

In the sphere of culture, despite the restrictions on mobility and capacity, the efforts made by various facilities to carry on offering activities has enabled visitor numbers to recover. The sports sector also suffered restrictions for much of 2021, but activity has recovered substantially since the summer.