Catalan builders complain: the sector is consistently growing less than GDP.

BarcelonaThe president of the Official Chamber of Construction Contractors of Catalonia (CCOC), Lluís Moreno, explained this Wednesday that construction activity in Catalonia increased by 1.7% in 2024, but criticized the fact that the sector "is systematically growing below GDP," which rose by 3.6% last year. Moreno presented the report. The construction sector in Catalonia 2025. Forecasts for 2025 and 2026. The report forecasts sector growth of between 2% and 2.5% this year and between 2.5% and 3% in 2026.

"The sector has not yet recovered its pre-pandemic production volumes and is consistently growing below GDP, with a slow recovery due," the president of the construction industry said. He noted that these factors led to an increase in material, financing, and indirect costs, a situation aggravated by "the systematic lack of public investment" by the State and the Generalitat. After analyzing a volume of works of €1.558 billion in 2024 and €1.796 billion in 2023, the market share of CCOC member companies is estimated to be approximately 75%.

8% below 2019

Also participating in the presentation was economist and director of the CCOC's research department, Rubén Gil, who stated that construction activity "is still 8% below 2019 production levels."

He stated that the CCOC estimates increases in activity of over 2% in 2025 and 2026, citing the need for residential construction: "There is a clear need for public intervention, especially to promote affordable and rental housing." He also highlighted the Generalitat's commitment to building 50,000 public housing units by 2030: "We hope it will be launched now and that the effects of the tender process will be felt." Gil highlighted the macroeconomic context, with expected growth of the Catalan economy above the European average, above 2%, due to the Next Generation funds available until 2026, and the dynamics of the electoral cycle.