Barcelona City Council has presented the 2025 edition of its Barcelona in Figures report, a key document analysing the main economic, social and geographic indicators for the city and its metropolitan area. Prepared by the Studies Department at the City Council Management Office for Economic Promotion, Tourism, International Relations and Sport, the study offers a full picture of Barcelona’s economic strength and reaffirms its role as a driving force for growth, innovation and sustainable development in the Mediterranean and in Europe. The city is embracing a transformation of the production model led by the strategic sectors defined in the Barcelona Impulsa plan: the digital economy, creative industries, health and biotech, the blue economy, the care economy, the agri-food sector, retail and restaurants, the visitor economy, science and innovation, and the social and solidarity economy.

According to the report, Barcelona is showing solid economic growth, with a GDP of €107.699 billion in 2024 and a 3.8% increase in real terms, surpassing Catalonia (3.6%), Spain (3.2%) and the European Union (1.0%). The city has a diversified, modern production structure, with a strong presence of advanced services, information and communication, finance, education, healthcare, retail and hospitality. Knowledge-intensive services and industry are also on the rise.

An open, diverse and well-connected metropolis

Barcelona is at the heart of a mega-region with 27 million residents, and the city itself is home to 1.73 million people, 26.4% of whom are foreign nationals – the highest percentage on record. This diversity enhances the city’s cosmopolitan identity and ability to attract global talent.

International connectivity is one of Barcelona’s strengths. In 2024, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona – El Prat Airport saw more than 55 million passengers for the first time, with growth of 10.3% and an 18.9% increase in intercontinental traffic. Meanwhile, the Port of Barcelona achieved record-breaking traffic of 67.8 million tonnes of goods (an 8.6% increase) and 3.9 million TEUs (an 18.3% increase), establishing itself as the most diversified and one of the most sustainable ports in the Mediterranean.

A hub for global competitiveness and attracting investment

The report confirms that Barcelona is continuing to rise in international competitiveness rankings. The Global Power City Index 2024 ranks it among the 20 most competitive cities in the world, and the EY Attractiveness Survey highlights it as the 5th most attractive city in Europe for international investment. Globally, Barcelona ranks 2nd in the world for R&D investment projects attracted between 2018 and 2023.

The city is also leading an expanding technological ecosystem. Between 2015 and 2024, it attracted $6.3 billion in technology investment, making it the 8th-strongest European ecosystem in this field. The information and communication technologies (ICT) sector accounts for 90,000 jobs at 3,000 companies, and female digital talent has reached a record high, accounting for 31.6% of the professionals in this sector.

Strategic sectors on the rise: health, science, the blue economy and creative industries

The document highlights how Barcelona is embracing the sectors of the future. The health and biotech sector accounts for 108,269 jobs (9.4% of total employment), and Catalonia has the 5th-highest number of active clinical trials in Europe. The city will be the site of the Fraunhofer SPAIN centre for advanced therapies and bioengineering, reinforcing its status as a scientific capital.

The blue economy, one of the emerging powerhouses, has created 51,238 jobs and a value per-worker 20% above the average. Meanwhile, creative industries account for 188,397 jobs, over half of the total in Catalonia.

Barcelona will also be the World Capital of Architecture in 2026 and was the guest city of honour at the 2025 Guadalajara International Book Fair, reflecting its international cultural projection.

High-quality labour market with global talent

The city has 1.2 million jobs, over half of which are in knowledge-intensive sectors. The gross value added (GVA) of technology- and knowledge-intensive sectors grew by 38% in four years, accounting for 17.4% of the city’s total GVA.

As for education, Catalonia has 12 universities and over 300,000 students, and Barcelona is one of the most popular cities among international talent, ranking 8th worldwide on the Decoding Global Talent 2024 report.

An entrepreneurial city with a diverse business ecosystem

The Barcelona area is home to 453,568 companies, 13.9% of all the companies in Spain. In 2025, the Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) rate reached 9.0%, the highest figure in the last 21 years and above the European average.

The office market is performing well: in 2024, office space take-up stood at 290,700 m² (a 16% increase). As for competitiveness, Barcelona ranks 66th in the world in terms of cost of living, a mid-range position in relation to other large global cities.

Social cohesion, quality of life and sustainability

Disposable household income is growing by 9% year on year and has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 7%. Barcelona is known for its work to reduce inequalities and develop person-centred policies: the care sector accounts for 57,502 jobs, 79.9% of which are held by women.

The report highlights Barcelona’s strong sustainable mobility system, with over 85% of journeys within the city taking place on public transport, on foot or by bicycle, and its success in achieving domestic water consumption of 98.4 litres per resident per day, the lowest figure on record.

A strategic tool for anticipating trends and planning the future

Barcelona City Council sees Barcelona in Figures 2025, with its systematic analysis of economic, social and geographic indicators, as a key tool for anticipating changes, identifying opportunities and informing public policies over the next decade.

Data in areas such as GDP growth, trends in employment and unemployment, business creation, the presence of emerging sectors and international investment attraction make it possible to design robust strategies for economic development, innovation, urban planning, social cohesion and the environmental transition, while also strengthening Barcelona’s global positioning as an open, prosperous and sustainable city.