242,070 Catalans now living abroad: a 9.31% increase on 2014 figures
The number of Catalans with Spanish nationality living abroad and registered with consulates rose by 9.31% between 1 January 2014 and 1 January 2015, according to data from the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE), which is a legally independent institution run by the Spanish Government. In early 2014, there were 221,444 Catalans living in a foreign country, while a year later this figure had risen to 242,070, thus registering a 20,626 person increase. Regarding Spain as a whole, on the 1 January 2015, there were 2,183,043 citizens living abroad and registered with consulates. This represents a 6.1% growth on the figures from January 2014, when there were 124,995 less Spaniards living abroad.
Barcelona (ACN).- The number of Catalans with Spanish nationality living abroad and registered with consulates rose by 9.31% between 1 January 2014 and 1 January 2015, according to data from the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE), which is a legally independent institution run by the Spanish Government. In early 2014, there were 221,444 Catalans living in a foreign country, while a year later this figure had risen to 242,070, thus registering a 20,626 person increase.
At Spanish level, the number of people living abroad increased by 6.1%
Regarding Spain as a whole, on the 1 January 2015, there were 2,183,043 citizens living abroad and registered with consulates. This represents a 6.1% growth on the figures from January 2014, when there were 124,995 less Spaniards living abroad.
Lleida registered the lowest increase in Catalonia, while Girona is ranked first in relative terms
Among the 4 Catalan Provinces, Barcelona – where two-thirds of the Catalan population live – ranks first in terms of emigration. Last year, the number of Barcelonians who reside abroad went from 172,270 to 188,325, growing by 16,055 people (a 9.32% increase).
The Province of Girona (north-eastern Catalonia) registered the second most important increase in terms of number of emigrants (+ 2,014 people): in January 2015 it counted 19,111 people living abroad, while a year early there were 17,097 (a 11.78% growth).
The Province of Tarragona (southern Catalonia) went from 16,288 people living in a foreign country in 2014 to 17,906 in 2015, which means 1,618 more people (a 9.93% increase).
Finally, Lleida Province (western Catalonia) is the province where the increase was more restrained: in 2014 its emigrant population stood at15,789, while in 2015 this number had risen by 939 people, up to 16,728 (a 5.95% increase).
More emigrated women than men
The INE statistics also provide a sex-based analysis of the Catalan population living abroad and concludes that there are more women than men deciding to leave Catalonia. In this regard, in 2014 among the Catalans living in a foreign country there were 111,404 women and 110,214 men. The 2015 figures for the two sexes are 121,241 and 120,829 respectively.