The 2025 Mobile World Congress has generated an economic impact in Barcelona of approximately 561 million euros, exceeding the 502 million generated last year. According to the GSMA, since the MWC arrived in Catalonia in 2006, it has generated a total economic contribution of 6.9 billion euros. In addition, the March edition generated 13,000 partial jobs; in the two decades since it arrived in Barcelona, there have been 173,000 partial jobs, as detailed by the GSMA.
"MWC and Barcelona are a perfect alliance, united by innovation, collaboration, and a shared ambition," said GSMA CEO John Hoffman, regarding the results of an edition that brought together 109,000 attendees from 205 countries at Fira Gran Via. With these figures, "the strength of our partnership with Barcelona continues to generate mutual successes, and we are proud to continue contributing to the city's prosperity and opportunities."
These record figures "demonstrate the consolidation of the congress in Catalonia," defended the Minister of Business and Labor, Miquel Sàmper. This boost reinforces Catalonia's role as a "key player" for the technological sovereignty "that Europe needs," according to Sàmper, who highlighted that the event contributes "strategically" to the dynamism of the Catalan economy and to the projection of Catalonia as a benchmark in areas such as connectivity and digitalization.
According to the GSMA report, during the four days of the congress there were more than 1,200 speakers and opinion leaders ---41% of whom were women--- and 188 delegations from 148 countries and 40 intergovernmental organizations, 66 ministers, and 111 heads of regulatory authorities gathered. According to the GSMA, only 27% of the total attendees were women. In addition, 56% of the total were from industries adjacent to the core mobile ecosystem; 21% were from senior management, and 50% were at a managerial level or higher.
Furthermore, at the startups fair, 4YFN, more than 1,000 emerging companies participated, with 380 speakers and more than 900 investors with collective funds totaling 60 billion euros, in a context where the business volume of Catalan companies in the technological and digital sector is close to 40 billion euros.