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Diari de Catalunya

Barcelona 'Exports' Population to Other Metropolitan Municipalities Despite Overall Growth

A study reveals that the Catalan capital registers a negative migratory balance with the rest of the Metropolitan Area, driven by international migration.

Generic image of a bustling urban street with diverse people walking, symbolizing population flow.
IA

Generic image of a bustling urban street with diverse people walking, symbolizing population flow.

The city of Barcelona is experiencing a negative migratory flow towards the other 35 municipalities of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), according to a preliminary report, although its total population continues to grow thanks to international migration.

This trend is detailed in the preliminary report of the study Metropolitan Population 2011-2041, commissioned by the Metropolitan Policy Analysis service of the AMB. Mayor Jaume Collboni has emphasized the importance of Barcelona residents being able to stay in their city, but the data reveals a complex reality.
The migratory surge in recent years has led the AMB population to historical figures, reaching 3.45 million inhabitants by early 2025. This growth, representing 64% of the Metropolitan Region's population and 42% of Catalonia as a whole, is expected to continue significantly over the next 15 years, with estimates of an additional 100,000 to 260,000 people by 2041.
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"The migratory growth of the AMB is based on international migration. Exchanges with the rest of the Metropolitan Region and the rest of Catalonia show generally negative or balanced balances, reflecting processes of suburbanization and residential redistribution towards peripheral municipalities. In contrast, the balance with foreign countries is clearly positive and growing, and constitutes the true engine of metropolitan growth."

Albert Esteve, Amand Blanes, Teresa Menacho, Toni Medina, Anna Turu and Juan Galeano · Authors of the report
Between 2011 and 2023, Barcelona has been the main emitter of population to other metropolitan municipalities. A notable example is Sant Cugat del Vallès, which has received nearly 20,000 Barcelona residents during this period, while fewer than 12,000 have made the reverse journey. This 'suburbanization' dynamic is reflected in the fact that 34 of the 36 metropolitan municipalities have increased their population between 2011 and 2025, with the exception of Badia del Vallès and Sant Andreu de la Barca.
International migration is the primary driver of this growth. In 2011, only four municipalities exceeded 20% of their population born outside Spain (l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, and Castelldefels), whereas by 2025 this figure had risen to ten, including Cornellà de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Badalona, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Montcada i Reixac. The Colombian community has become the most numerous in the AMB, with a great diversity of origins, predominantly Latin American.
One of the most intense internal migratory flows occurs between Barcelona and l'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Between 2011 and 2023, over 76,000 people moved from Barcelona to l'Hospitalet, and about 67,000 made the reverse journey, highlighting an "invisible" yet highly permeable border between Catalonia's two most populous cities.

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