In a complex and uncertain global context, Barcelona’s economy remains stable and is performing well in strategic areas. These are the conclusions of the Barcelona Economic Newsflash No.25, published by the Department of Studies at Barcelona City Council’s Management Office for the Economy and Economic Promotion.

According to the report, in 2024 GDP in the city saw year-on-year growth of 3.8%, higher than the rates for rest of Catalonia (3.6%) and Spain (3.2%), and well above the European Union rate (1%). Barcelona’s economy is now 8.8% stronger than it was before the pandemic, reaching 107,699 million euros and representing 34% of Catalonia’s GDP. And the outlook remains positive, with Catalonia expected to grow by 2.7% next year.

The economic upturn is also reflected in disposable household income, which is up by 9% year on year and now exceeds pre-pandemic levels by 27% in nominal terms. This momentum is helped by a drop in inflation (2.1% in April) and interest rates.

Strong labour market and an active business network

The labour market remains strong, with 1,241,853 people registered with Social Security in March, a record for this month of the year. Year-on-year registered unemployment has been falling for five consecutive months, and the 7% unemployment rate in the city is below the averages for Catalonia, Spain and the province of Barcelona.

As for the quality of employment, permanent contracts remain high, accounting for 45.8% of the total. Despite a brief drop in the creation of start-ups at the beginning of this year, Barcelona closed out 2024 with the best figure in recent years: 8,936 new companies. There is notable business growth in knowledge-intensive sectors, almost doubling the figure for the economy as a whole (14.5% year on year, compared to 7.6%).

International positioning and dynamism in strategic sectors

Barcelona’s global competitiveness is recognised internationally: the Global Power City Index for 2024 ranks the city 19th globally and 9th in Europe, achieving its second-best result of the decade. The city ranked particularly highly in liveability, cultural interaction and accessibility.

Employment in Barcelona’s strategic sectors continues growing, especially in knowledge-intensive and high-tech services (5.9% increase), the digital sector (5.7% increase) and the creative sector (3.8% increase).

The blue economy is cementing its position as a driver of growth, with a 7% increase in jobs in 2024 and 23% in the last three years. Employing over 51,000 people, this sector accounted for 4.3% of all employment and 5% of business turnover in Barcelona. Barcelona ranks 8th in Europe and 27th worldwide among the world’s leading maritime cities.

As for the visitor economy, the first quarter of 2025 saw a record number of tourists staying in the city. Business tourism is especially significant, accounting for nearly half of visitors in March and representing the highest per-person spending levels, at almost €150 per day. The visitor economy is also reflected in the record numbers at Josep Tarradellas Airport, with the volume of passengers up by 4.2% in the last year.

These indicators strengthen Barcelona’s position as an innovative and globally competitive economic leader.