Barcelona has found a new place in the National Ranking of Talking Cities, an unconventional ranking.
How much do Barcelonans speak compared to the rest of Spain? A study conducted by the language learning platform Preply sheds light on this intriguing question.
Spain, recognized as a popular tourist destination in Europe, not only stands out for its scenic and cultural appeal, but also for the reputation of its inhabitants as talkative and sociable people.
However, this characteristic varies from one region to another. In the case of Catalonia, the province has obtained a particular position in this peculiar ranking.
The National Ranking of Talking Cities
Preply surveyed 2,035 people in twenty of Spain’s most populated cities to assess their level of eloquence. The study assigned a score from 1 to 10 to the responses collected to determine which cities were the most and least talkative.
The results placed Barcelona in 19th place in the ranking, last among the cities analyzed.
Age also emerged as a crucial factor in measuring speech level. Generation X, aged 35 to 54, emerged as the most talkative, while Generation Z, aged 16 to 24, was at the lower end.
Among these two, Boomers (55+) ranked second, followed by Millennials (25-34).
On average, Spaniards talk to six people a day outside their work environment. Barcelona, however, ranks 19th in this aspect, evidencing a different conversational pattern compared to other cities.
At what times do people talk the most
But when and in what situations do Spaniards speak the most? The study sheds light on the occasions when people are most likely to engage in conversations:
- Discuss news or TV series with family and friends.
- Provide information if asked when walking down the street.
- Talk to waiters and waitresses.
- Talking to neighbors on the street or in the elevator.
- Talk to supermarket employees.
- Talking while shopping with store employees.
- Talk to workers and technicians who go home.
- Talking to strangers.
- Talking in waiting rooms or queues.
- In the gym.
- With telephone operators.
In terms of number of daily interactions, Cordoba tops the list with an average of 7.11 people, followed by Granada (6.86) and San Sebastian (6.75). However, Barcelona is in a more moderate position in this respect.
While Barcelona may not be the most talkative city in the country, the diversity of situations and the willingness of Spaniards to engage in conversation reveals the wealth of social interactions that characterize and distinguish the Spanish population.
