Barcelona gains population and exceeds 1.7 million, the most numerous in three decades

The 11,000 births registered in Barcelona in 2023 represented practically the lowest value since 1900. However, the 10.4% increase in foreign nationals registered in the city compensated for this decline in birth rate, and has led to the population of Barcelona growing for the second consecutive year, reaching 1,702,814 residents at the beginning of 2024.

The number of registered residents in the city, which reflects a 2.6% increase compared to the previous year, represents the highest value since 1991, the year in which the population of Barcelona began to decline. The recovery of residents in the Catalan capital has been boosted by migratory movement, which added more than 54,000 people in 2023, compensating for the negative natural balance of 3,661 people. In total, the city has 432,556 registered foreign nationals, which represents a historical record and implies that, for the first time, one out of every four Barcelona residents is of foreign nationality, according to census data collected by the Municipal Data Office of the City Council.

This group is marked by the diversity of nationalities: in addition to Spanish, people of 180 different nationalities reside in Barcelona. Among them, the most represented in the city are Italian, Colombian, Pakistani, and Chinese. All of this in a context where 43.2% of foreigners residing in the Catalan capital have university studies, or a higher-level vocational training cycle. This figure is slightly higher in the case of immigrants who arrived in Barcelona in 2023, among whom 45% have a university degree. Among all residents in the city, the figure stands at 36.3%, with 38% in the specific case of women.

43.2% of foreigners residing in the city have university studies or a higher-level vocational training cycle

The more than 1.7 million registered residents in the city live in 676,130 homes. Of these, nearly a third are single-person households. This data indicates that 12.6% of Barcelona residents live alone, a situation more common among women than men, as female single-person households represent 60% of the total. The 2024 census also reveals that no minors reside in 78% of Barcelona homes.

Record number of centenarians

Barcelona residents with foreign nationality are not the only ones who have reached a record this year: the maximum number of centenarians in the city has also been registered. There are exactly 1,007 people over 100 years old, 10.4% more than the previous year. In this group, women are the clear protagonists, accounting for 83.7%. 

This historical record occurred in a year in which mortality decreased to 14,700 deaths. This is the lowest figure since 2019, in a set of data that keeps the average age of Barcelona residents stable, slightly above 44 years.