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Diari de Catalunya

Barcelona's population growth slows, numbers slightly decrease in 2026

The city records its second-highest population figure historically, driven by immigration despite fewer arrivals.

Generic image of Barcelona city.
IA

Generic image of Barcelona city.

Barcelona's population stood at 1,729,963 inhabitants on January 1, 2026, a slight decrease from the previous year but the second highest figure in historical records.

The 2026 population report for the city, based on municipal records, indicates 1,729,963 registered residents. Although lower than the 1,732,066 inhabitants recorded the previous year, this figure represents the second highest in the historical series. This scenario is attributed to immigration, which continues to offset a low birth rate and an increase in emigration towards surrounding municipalities.
The Municipal Data Office (OMD) also details that nearly a third of the Catalan capital's 648,077 households are occupied by a single person. This proportion has steadily grown since 2010, surpassing households with two people. Factors such as an aging population, delayed cohabitation, increased separations and divorces, or a preference for living alone contribute to this trend.
The profile of these single-person households shows that the majority are women over 65 (70,498), followed by women and men aged 18 to 65 (61,792 and 61,729 respectively). Men over 65 living alone number 24,203.
By districts, Ciutat Vella shows the highest percentages of single-person households in the neighborhoods of La Barceloneta (43.5%), Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera (41.8%), and the Gòtic (38.5%). La Vila de Gràcia also stands out with 38.4%, figures well above the city's average (31.5%). In contrast, Torre Baró (22.7%) and Ciutat Meridiana (24%) have the fewest single-occupant homes.
Concurrently, households with minors continue to decline, representing only 21.4% of residences as of January 1, 2026. 2025 saw the fewest births since 1900 (excluding 1939), with 11,012 newborns. Meanwhile, the number of centenarians reached a record high of 1,196 residents.
The average age of Barcelona residents has risen to 44.6 years, influenced by the proportion of foreign-born residents (39.5 years), who are younger than those born in Catalonia (41.9 years) or the rest of Spain (66.2 years).
The arrival of new residents to the city decreased in 2025, with 124,036 people, nearly 5,000 fewer than the previous year. The foreign-born population now constitutes 36.2% of the total. Italian nationality is the most common, followed by Colombian, Pakistani, Chinese, and Peruvian.
In 2025, 68,979 people left Barcelona, a 2.4% increase from the previous year, primarily moving to surrounding municipalities such as L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (7,332 residents), Badalona (3,091), and Madrid (2,498). Over half of emigrants are between 25 and 44 years old, driven by factors like housing costs.

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