Nearly 800,000 citizens arrived in three years: this is how the demographics are evolving in Catalonia
23% of Catalans have lived in their municipality for less than five years
BarcelonaOne in ten people currently living in Catalonia (9.7%) have been there for less than four years, according to the 2024 population and housing census published this Thursday by the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat). These new residents include foreigners who have migrated—the vast majority—as well as citizens from other parts of Spain and Catalans who had moved away and have returned home. The survey—with data from January 1, 2024—shows that 780,639 people arrived in Catalonia between 2021 and 2023. The population growth in Catalonia has surged following the shock of the 2020 pandemic, according to the data. Today in our country there are more citizens who arrived in Catalonia in 2023 than Catalans who arrived between 2011 and 2015.
"This growth has a lot to do with the good economic climate and the fact that migration patterns are now well established. More and more people are getting to know what lives here and friends are coming to visit," explains Arlinda García Coll, professor at the University of Barcelona (UB) and expert in human geography, to ARA.
On the other hand, statistics also show that the foreign population has been gaining ground over the population from the rest of Spain. Thus, it is observed that seven out of ten Catalan citizens born in other parts of Spain arrived in the country before 1981, while the vast majority of foreign-born people living in Catalonia arrived after 2000. In fact, 28.6% of Catalans born abroad arrived in Catalonia between 2022 and 2023.
"It's important to understand that international migration is going through a complex period: people look for work, even if it's in precarious sectors like hospitality or elder care. In contrast, those who arrive from the rest of Spain often do so to..." Likewise, the UB professor also points out that "Catalan can also act as a small barrier for people from other parts of Spain."
Another reality reflected in the new data is that of Catalans who, after living abroad for a time, have decided to return. As of January 1, 2024, there were 387,351 citizens who had lived abroad temporarily and decided to re-establish their residence in Catalonia. Of these, 10% (41,710) returned home between 2022 and 2023. Finally, there are four and a half million Catalans who live in Catalonia and have always lived there.
Less than five years in the municipality
Beyond the influx of new residents to Catalonia, the population and housing census also reveals significant internal migration within the region. These two phenomena combined mean that today less than 30% of Catalans live in the municipality where they have resided their entire lives. In other words, seven out of ten live in a town or city where they were neither born nor raised. "The rise in housing prices in and around Barcelona has fueled a strong relocation movement, especially among young people. They realize they can no longer stay in their neighborhoods and are looking for more affordable options, increasingly further away. Speculation is undoubtedly behind this movement," García asserts.
Furthermore, the data shows a significant increase in relocations over the past five years: almost a quarter of the population (23.1%) has moved to their municipality of residence in the last five years. "This affects the sense of belonging and community life, which were once very strong but are now eroding as the population changes. Identity is being lost," laments the human geography expert. In fact, in Catalonia there are 85 municipalities where residents who have lived there for less than five years make up a third of the total population. At the regional level, this influx of new residents has been most noticeable in the Baix Penedès. where 32.5% of the population has settled in their municipality in the last five years, followed by Cerdanya (30.8%) and Garraf (27.0%).