Castelldefels, the largest municipality with the highest GDP per capita growth, and Rubí, with the lowest.
Martorell becomes the municipality with the highest GDP per capita
BarcelonaAll Catalan municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants registered positive growth in GDP per capita in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to preliminary data published this Friday by the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat). The largest increases were in Castelldefels (7.7%) and Mollet del Vallès (7.5%), while Rubí registered the smallest increase (5.2%).
Of the 23 municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, nine show a GDP per capita higher than the Catalan average (39,531 euros), led by El Prat de Llobregat (77,939 euros), Sant Cugat del Vallès (59,780 euros) and Barcelona (56,362 euros), and 56,360 euros), Llobregat (50,104 euros), Cerdanyola del Vallès (47,258 euros), Granollers (45,970 euros), Lleida (40,353 euros) and Tarragona (40,047 euros). According to Idescat, in 2023, 208 of the 222 municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants and the remaining county capitals experienced positive GDP per capita growth compared to the previous year. These were led by Martorell (51.9%), Arbúcies (26.7%), and Valls (23.6%), with increases well above the Catalan average of 7.2%. Martorell's high GDP growth placed its GDP per capita above €200,000 for the first time (€206,550), making it the municipality with the highest GDP per capita in Catalonia in 2023 (the last year with definitive data). (123,530 euros), Castellbisbal (113,553 euros), La Canonja (112,836 euros), Martorelles (103,980 euros) and Sant Esteve Sesrovires (100,433 euros). At the other extreme there are 10 municipalities with a GDP per inhabitant of less than 15,000 euros: Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Torrelles de Llobregat, Villanueva del Camino, Calafell, Piera, Roda de Ter, Canyelles, Cunit, Santa Margarita de Montbui and Badia del Vallès. By sector, there are 24 municipalities where industry is the main economic activity, led by Martorell – home to Seat and much of its auxiliary industry – with 86.5%, and La Canonja – with its petrochemical complex – with 82.5%, followed by Vandellòs (7.7%), Margarita i Monjos (79.2%), Guissona (78.9%), and Súria (76.4%), all with an industrial share exceeding 75% and well above the Catalan average of 19.2%. The service sector is the main economic activity in most municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants and in county capitals, and in 92 municipalities, the service sector's share exceeds the Catalan average (75.1%). Salou (94.7%) and Alella (92.1%) stand out, followed by Tossa de Mar, Catllar, Altafulla, Calella, Sant Vicenç de Montalt, and Barcelona, also above 90%. The municipalities where the construction sector makes the greatest contribution to their productive structure are Deltebre, with 19.3%, and Llagostera, with 18.3%. In Catalonia, the gross value added (GVA) of this activity represents 5% of the total. Finally, regarding the agricultural sector, which in Catalonia only represents 0.8% of the total GVA, Alcarràs stands out, with this sector accounting for 18.8%, and Sant Hilari Sacalm, with 17.2%. By region
In 2023, Ribera d'Ebre continued to be the region with the highest GDP per capita (€71,546), followed by Barcelonès (€44,769), which are 92.0% and 20.2% above the Catalan average (€37,259), respectively. Also above the average are Baix Llobregat (€42,760, 14.8%), Alt Camp (€41,923, 12.5%), Segarra (€41,137, 10.4%), Aran (€40,277, 9.1%), and Gironès (€38,581, 3.5%). At the other end of the spectrum are Baix Penedès, Moianès, Priorat, Montsià, Garraf, Maresme, and Anoia, which have a GDP per capita of less than €26,000 and are below 30% of the Catalan average. Compared to the previous year, 37 counties saw an increase in GDP per capita in 2023. Alt Camp experienced the largest increase, at 19.2%, followed by Baix Llobregat (13.1%) and Osona (12.6%). At the other end of the spectrum, GDP per capita decreased in the regions of Alta Ribagorça (-2.7%), Aran (-3.5%), and also, particularly sharply due to the decline in electricity production, Pallars Sobirà (-6.2%) and Ribera d'Ebre (-1.9%).
