Barcelona reaches 1.73m residents, highest figure in 40 years

Barcelona’s population has surpassed 1.73 million as of January 1, 2025, according to the latest municipal census data.

The city added nearly 30,000 new residents over the past year, reaching its highest population total since 1985.

Population growth was recorded across all districts in the Catalan capital, with no district losing population compared to the previous year.

The increase was driven by migration, and although the overall population grew, the growth rate of 1.7% marks a slowdown from the 2.6% increase recorded between 2023 and 2024.

The neighborhoods that have seen the largest increases are La Clota and La Marina del Prat Vermell, areas where new housing has been built, according to María Jesús Calvo Nuño, head of the Barcelona City Council’s Department of Statistics.

Currently, only 45% of the population was born in Barcelona. Children under the age of 16 now make up just under 12% of the population, and the number of centenarians in the city has reached a record high of 1,104.

The average age of Barcelona residents is around 44 years old, according to the latest census.

182 nationalities in the city

A total of 610,000 residents in Barcelona were born abroad, representing more than one in every three residents, similar to last year’s data.

In terms of nationality, 26.4% of the population holds a non-Spanish passport.

Argentina is the leading country of origin for the foreign-born population, with nearly 50,000 people residing. It is followed by Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Pakistan, Morocco, Ecuador, Italy, Honduras, and China.

In total, residents from 182 nationalities, aside from Spanish, live in the city, but the foreign population is not evenly distributed throughout the city.

In Ciutat Vella, 54% of residents are foreign nationals, while the Canyelles neighborhood in the Nou Barris district has the lowest number, at only 14.7% of residents born outside Spain.