The population of Catalonia has grown steadily over the years and in 2023 reached the remarkable figure of 8 million inhabitants.
This increase is reflected in the statistics of Catalan municipalities and according to the latest census update of the National Statistics Institute (INE) for the year 2022, there have been significant changes in the list of the 20 most populated cities in Catalonia.
Barcelona maintains its position as the most populated city, followed by L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, but the most notable change is the rise of Badalona to third position, overtaking Terrassa.
Barcelona continues to top the list as the most populous city in Catalonia, with an impressive 1,660,122 inhabitants. L’Hospitalet de Llobregat is in second place with 274,455 inhabitants.
However, the most notable change is observed in third position, where Badalona has overtaken Terrassa, with 225,957 and 225,277 inhabitants respectively. This change marks a transformation in the ranking of the most populated cities due to the more pronounced demographic growth of Badalona compared to Terrassa.
The Top 3 most populated cities in Catalonia
According to data published by INE in December, this change in the top 3 is the only one among the 10 most populated cities compared to 2021 data.
Although Terrassa has experienced an increase of 1,163 inhabitants over the previous year, reaching 225,277, this increase has not been enough to maintain its position against the more significant growth of Badalona, which has added 2,451 inhabitants in one year, reaching 225,957.
The fifth position in the list of the most populated cities is for Sabadell, which has a total of 218,300 inhabitants. Next come Lleida and Tarragona, in sixth and seventh place, with 143,094 and 138,262 inhabitants, respectively. Completing the top 10 are Mataró (129,870 inhabitants), Santa Coloma de Gramenet (119,862 inhabitants) and Reus (108,479 inhabitants).
It is important to note that of the 20 municipalities listed, 16 belong to the demarcation of Barcelona, two to Tarragona, one to Lleida and one to Girona. Girona is in eleventh position, with 104,320 inhabitants, only slightly below Reus.
Outstanding demographic growth in Catalonia
Catalonia has experienced the highest population growth of the entire Spanish state in 2023, according to the population census data as of January 1 published by the INE. An increase of 140,140 people has been recorded, representing an increase of 1.8% over 2022.
Although Catalonia has experienced negative natural growth since 2018, with more deaths than births, the increase in the foreign population has driven this growth.
The population with foreign nationality in Catalonia has increased from 1.24 million in 2022 to 1.36 million in 2023, an increase of 10.2%, slightly below the national average. In contrast, the population with Spanish nationality has experienced a growth of 0.2%, from 6.53 to 6.54 million.
