Catalonia is the community with the second highest GDP, but the fourth in GDP per capita
Murcia led the growth in 2024, followed by the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
BarcelonaCatalonia is the second region in the Spanish state with the highest GDP (gross domestic product, which measures the wealth of a territory), behind only Madrid. However, despite these absolute figures, when wealth is distributed among the inhabitants of a territory, Catalonia is the fourth region in GDP per capita, according to the state accounting data published this Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute.
Thus, according to these data, Spanish GDP in 2024 amounted to almost €1.6 trillion, of which Catalonia contributed €301.894 billion, meaning that in 2024 the Principality generated 18.8% of the entire state's GDP. In absolute figures, only the community of Madrid contributed more, specifically €316.242 billion, representing 19.7% of Spanish GDP.
However, when distributing wealth per capita, not only Madrid is ahead of Catalonia, but also the Basque Country and Navarre, that is, both autonomous communities with a financing system outside the common regime. Thus, Madrid's GDP per capita in 2024 stood at €44,755, in the Basque Country at €41,016, and in Navarre at €39,076. In Catalonia, the wealth generated per capita stood at €37,426.
However, Catalonia is well above the Spanish average, which is €32,633 per capita, but below the European Union (EU-27), which is €39,870 per capita. In fact, only the Community of Madrid and the Basque Country exceed the Spanish average.
Murcia, the fastest growing community
The Basque Country's case is curious, given that despite occupying second place on the podium in GDP per capita, it is one of the regions with the lowest GDP growth in 2024: only 2.8%. In fact, only Cantabria and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla surpass the Basque Country in GDP growth.
In fact, Spanish GDP grew by 3.5% in 2024. The region with the highest growth was Murcia, with 4.5%, followed by the Canary Islands (4.4%), the Balearic Islands (4.2%), and Castilla-La Mancha (3.7%). Madrid and Catalonia occupied fifth and sixth place with growth of 3.6%, while the rest of the regions grew below the Spanish average.
