This pact means the City Council will increase its annual contribution to the Centre de Normalització Lingüística (CNL) de Barcelona, which depends on the Generalitat, from 1.94 million to 3.09 million euros. This investment will allow for a 50% increase in enrollments compared to two academic years ago, totaling 35,500 places.
The measure responds to the high demand identified, with 2,200 people last September and another 1,700 in the last quarter who were unable to secure a spot. With the new economic injection, 23 additional teachers are expected to be hired starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, and approximately 5,000 new places will be created gradually throughout the next academic year, with most becoming available in September.
“"The goal is to get as close as possible to covering all demand."
This expansion adds to the 7,000 places and 33 teachers (23 of whom remain on staff) that the Generalitat already incorporated a year ago, when the maximum number of enrollments was 23,500. In total, between the increase in 2025 and that planned for the coming months, 12,000 places and 46 teachers will be added.
Authorities estimate there is a structural waiting list of 6%, which is difficult to resolve due to organizational issues and scheduling preferences. Therefore, starting next academic year, Saturday classes will also be offered to meet existing demand. The expansion of the offering also seeks to address the growing requests from immigrants arriving in Barcelona who wish to learn Catalan as part of their integration process and search for job opportunities.
