The Chamber estimates 142,000 the housing deficit in Catalonia

BarcelonaCatalonia has a housing supply problem. This was highlighted by economist Carme Poveda, director of the Economic Memory of Catalonia 2025, a study that Catalan chambers of commerce have been producing for 61 years. This year the report includes a monograph on housing with articles by new experts. According to Poveda, "there is consensus" that there is a supply problem. In this regard, he highlighted that since 2021, 200,000 new homes have been created in Catalonia, while only 62,000 new dwellings have been completed.

In this regard, the economist has indicated that there are bottlenecks that hinder the creation of new housing. Among these problems, he has highlighted the lack of labor in the construction sector, administrative slowness, urban planning regulations, the increase in construction costs, and the scarcity of available land. The president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Josep Santacreu, for his part, has called for addressing the housing problem "urgently," because the lack of housing "affects society, especially the most vulnerable."

At the closing of the presentation of the Report, the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, acknowledged that in Catalonia "inequality is basically access to housing", and described his plan to build 50,000 official protection homes as "the most ambitious policy of the Spanish autonomous communities", and recalled that his government wants to mobilize land to build 200,000 homes.

The housing deficit is the blemish on a sufficiently positive evolution of the Catalan economy, as stated in the Report. In this regard, Carme Poveda highlighted two key aspects: Catalonia is growing above the European average and, above all, is reducing the productivity gap with neighboring countries. Some data support this. GDP per capita has grown by 1.6% – exceeding the euro area average of 1.1% – and productivity per hour worked has increased by 1.1% in 2025, compared to 1% in the euro area. This double boost has been occurring since 2023. Furthermore, the productivity gap per hour compared to the euro area average has gone from -12% to -7%, in purchasing power parity. A productivity improvement that, moreover, occurs at a time of maximum job creation.

Another positive aspect highlighted by the Report is the all-time high in productive investment per worker, which anticipates a future improvement in productivity. In fact, productive investment in 2025 was the most dynamic component of GDP, with a growth of 6.9%. In contrast, R&D investment decreased in 2024 after three very positive years. However, according to Carme Poveda, this indicator should reverse in the aggregate of 2025 and 2026 due to the acceleration of the final execution of the Next Generation funds.

Business improvement

The professor at Pompeu Fabra, Oriol Amat, presented the part of the Report concerning companies. The number of large companies is growing, characterized by higher productivity and better salaries. Nevertheless, compared to other European economies, Catalan companies still have a smaller size, which limits their growth and productivity potential.

Amat, however, highlighted the growth in turnover and results of Catalan companies. "The income statement shows a very favorable evolution," he said, and also emphasized the robustness of the balance sheet. In 1983, he recalled, the average net worth of Catalan companies was 38%, and this was paid for with the disappearance of many when the great recession arrived. In contrast, in 2024, the average net worth was 56%. "Companies are less indebted and more capitalized, the balance sheet is very sound," he concluded.

Vulnerability of families

Despite the good economic data, the Report also highlights some negative aspects, especially those that make families more vulnerable. Thus, nominal wages have grown by 20% in the accumulated period between 2021 and 2026, but inflation has grown by 18% in the same period. And in the case of food, growth has been 30%. This price increase, along with the housing crisis, makes families more vulnerable, especially those in the lowest income bracket, as well as those with children and single-parent families.

Given this data, the president of the Generalitat has indicated that "it is clear that Catalonia's economic situation is good or very good", but has acknowledged that "prosperity must be shared better". Illa has not hesitated to point to the recovery of confidence, institutional stability, and collaboration between administrations, which is more beneficial than confrontation, as factors contributing to economic improvement.