Barcelona's inequalities: the richest neighborhood triples the income of the poorest.

BarcelonaThe 10 kilometers separating the Tres Torres neighborhood of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and the Ciutat Meridiana neighborhood of Nou Barris represent the distance between the two Barcelonas, the richest and the poorest. Invariably, for years, these two neighborhoods have been at the two extremes of disposable income, a fact repeated in the latest data—corresponding to 2022—published this Monday by Barcelona City Council. Residents of both neighborhoods are separated by about 30,000 euros, meaning that those in Tres Torres have 3.5 times more disposable income than those in Ciutat Meridiana.

In 2022, Barcelona was recovering from the shock of the pandemic, in which Barcelona residents' incomes plummeted due to the loss of earned income and, in addition, suffered the impact of 5.7% inflation. According to the latest report from the Municipal Data Office, per capita disposable income in Barcelona rose 4.9% compared to the previous year, but purchasing power was reduced by 2.6% by the general increase in prices.

In this snapshot of incomes, the largest contribution in the poorest postal codes comes from wages and social benefits, while in the wealthier areas, income from mixed incomes (the sum of salaries and rent or property income) has little impact, and benefits have little impact. According to the report, the transfer of public aid and benefits helps reduce social inequality between districts. Thus, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi has an average per capita income that is 84% ​​higher than that of Barcelona, ​​​​while, in contrast, Nou Barris is 36% lower, but gains income thanks to public benefits, which represent 25%.

Unsurprisingly, residents of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi once again top the ranking of the richest, with an average of €35,000 per capita. At the other end of the spectrum, residents of Ciutat Vella and Nou Barris also hold the same wealth, with just over half the available income of less than €17,000. However, by district, Gràcia presents the least inequality among its neighborhoods, while Ciutat Vella and Sant Martí show the most disparate incomes due to their atypical composition compared to the Gòtic and Vila Olímpica districts. In fact, the latter district is home to the city's poorest census tracts, specifically those of Besòs and Maresme. In contrast, residents of Pedralbes are crowned as the richest, with five times as many having the lowest incomes.

The 2022 recovery has not been uniform across the city, although all neighborhoods have seen positive growth. The Gothic Quarter, Raval, and Tres Torres have seen the most growth (up to 9%), while others such as La Clota, Congreso, and Los Indianos have seen very little growth (less than 2.5%).