Mobile World Congress gears up for 20th anniversary in Barcelona
GSMA CEO John Hoffman urges caution on tourist tax as tech event expects record €585m impact
Business
Business & economic news from Barcelona and Catalonia
South Korea's Naver completes acquisition of Wallapop
Barcelona-based online marketplace sells for €600 million and will keep its headquarters in the Catalan capital
Inflation in Spain sees biggest drop in 10 months, easing to 2.4% in January
The fall was due to electricity prices increasing less than a year ago
ISE confident Rodalies crisis won't affect Barcelona audiovisual congress
Managing director Mike Blackman expects record attendance as registrations rise 10%
2025 finished with slight increase in unemployment rate, but also with a record number of jobs
Unemployment rate stood at 8.24%, with 3.91 million people working, 57,200 more than year before
Mortgage contracts top 7,300 in November for the first time since 2007
Number of loans up by 9.3%, averaging at almost €188,000
Catalonia sets new historic record for travelers and hotel stays in 2025
Accomodations register more than 22 million visitors and more than 60 million nights
International tourist arrival growth slows down to only 1% in 2025
Government welcomes that visitors spent nearly €25bn last year, 4.5% more than in 2024
Barcelona observatories see business opportunity in August's total solar eclipse
Tourist chief hopes rare event will boost astrotourism throughout the year
Indefinite sit-in launched at Camp Nou over layoffs and labour violations
Workers protest unpaid wages and unfair dismissals
Catalan exports fall 2.1% in November as US sales slide
Shipments to United States drop nearly 11%, while exports to Asia jump almost 25%
Catalonia's foreign workforce soars to 700,000, up 89% in a decade
Non-EU nationals account for 70%, led by Moroccans
Catalan inflation eases in December, ending 2025 at 2.5%
Food prices rose 2.7% over the year, with the price of eggs up 20%
ISE 2026 to cover more than 100,000 square metres with over 1,700 exhibitors
Last year’s edition generated economic impact of €520 million for Barcelona, up 11%
Left-wing parties reach deal to establish new tourist tax across Catalonia
Tax raise to be implemented from April
Read the latest updates and breaking news on business and economic matters from Barcelona and Catalonia here. Keep up to date with how the Catalan economy is performing, inflation levels, employment and unemployment, major business mergers, important company announcements, and the latest on Catalonia’s biggest enterprises such as Vueling, Wallbox, Grifols, Mango, and plenty of start-ups and international firms based here too.