BarcelonaThe growth of the Catalan economy rests on two fundamental pillars: household consumption and, especially, investment. Gross domestic product (GDP) registered a 2.4% year-on-year increase in the third quarter, following a 0.8% rise compared to the April-June period, according to the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat). The increase in GDP "is mainly explained by the evolution of domestic demand, with growth of 3.7%, primarily due to the increase in gross fixed capital formation –investment– (6.9%) and household consumption (3.5%)," the institute explains. which confirms the estimate made in early NovemberThe quarter-on-quarter change is two-tenths of a percentage point above the Spanish rate (0.6%, according to preliminary data) and four-tenths of a percentage point higher than the EU rate (0.4%). From a demand perspective, the component that contributes most to third-quarter GDP growth is domestic demand, with a 3.7% increase, but with different performance depending on its components. On the one hand, household consumption, with a rate of 3.5%, grew one-tenth of a percentage point more than in the previous quarter. But "investment or gross fixed capital formation is particularly relevant, showing a year-on-year rate of 6.9%, five-tenths of a percentage point higher than in the previous quarter," which reflects strong business activity. Within this variable, investment in capital goods shows a rate of 9.1%, and investment in construction, 5.4%. In contrast, public administration consumption registered a variation of 1.2%, four tenths less than in the second quarter of 2025.
Foreign trade
Total exports show a year-on-year increase of 4.0%, a rise of 2.7 percentage points compared to the previous quarter (1.3%). By component, sales abroad of goods and services registered a 4.2% increase, while consumption by non-residents grew by 2.4%. Imports, on the other hand, showed a year-on-year growth rate of 4.6%, resulting from the growth in goods and services (4.3%) and consumption by residents abroad (9.4%).
From a supply perspective, all sectors showed positive activity, but with varying degrees of growth. Construction stands out with a strong growth of 4.7%, and agriculture experienced an 8.8% increase, according to Idescat. Services, the largest sector in the economy, grew by 2.7%, and industry by 1.9%. Industrial activity grew four-tenths of a percentage point more than in the second quarter (1.5%). By sector, the most notable increases were in the manufacture of motor vehicles, the pharmaceutical industry, and the manufacture of machinery and equipment, according to industrial activity indicators. The services sector saw a three-tenths of a percentage point decrease in activity compared to the previous quarter (3.0%), although all subsectors experienced growth. Trade, transportation, and hospitality were the subsectors with the largest increase at 5.2%. According to the services activity indicators, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, hotels, and warehousing activities were the subsectors with the most significant growth this quarter. The real estate, professional, and other activities subsector showed a growth rate of 1.7%. According to service sector activity indicators, other professional, scientific, and technical activities, as well as security and research activities, show the greatest increases in business volume. Finally, the public administration, education, health, and social services sector registers a growth rate of 1.3%. Construction grows by 4.7%, nine-tenths of a percentage point higher than the previous quarter (3.8%), and the agricultural sector shows a year-on-year increase of 8.8%, 2.5 percentage points lower than the second quarter (11.3%).
More containers and more cars at the Port of Barcelona
One of the barometers of the Catalan economy is activity at the Port of Barcelona. And traffic at this infrastructure continues to grow. According to data released this Monday by the Port of Barcelona, the volume of full export containers increased by 5.2% between January and November compared to the same period last year. Notable increases were seen in traffic with Saudi Arabia (17.4%), India (21.5%), South Korea (30.3%), the United Arab Emirates (46.9%), and, especially, Algeria (3,848.4%), now that trade relations have normalized. In the case of imports, the main increases were with Turkey (10.4%), Cambodia (12.4%), Brazil (24.5%), and Bangladesh (34.8%). China remains the Port of Barcelona's main market, accounting for 28.1% of import and export traffic.
On the other hand, vehicle traffic at the port facility reached 661,303 units in the first eleven months of the year, a 4.7% increase compared to the same period in 2014, consolidating the growth that began in September. Imports continue to rise strongly (40.3%). The growth of electric and hybrid vehicles (52.7%) – many of them Chinese – stands out, now representing 12.32% of the total. Liquid bulk cargo also maintains the upward trend of recent months, with traffic exceeding 15 million tons. Solid bulk cargo, meanwhile, totaled 3.6 million tons, experiencing a decrease of 15.8%.