Although the last two years reported a negative trend, 2022 was a year in which the number of inhabitants of Barcelona increased.
The population of the Catalan capital increased in the last year, according to the latest data from the municipal census. The reading of the census was made by the Municipal Data Office, OMD.
And there is surprise in the new figures, since most likely because of the pandemic, since 2020 Barcelona was losing inhabitants. Although they were not many, it was the trend, which was worrying. But with this latest census, the trend was broken.
The fact is evident after the city lost in 2020 a total of 9805 neighbors and 3589 in 2021.
During 2022 the trend was reversed by registering an increase of 16,744 people. According to the City Council, this change represents a growth of 1% which has been interpreted as a sign that marks a stable and moderate upward trend.
With respect to the city’s districts, they have also evolved upwards in population throughout the year. In fact, growth has ranged from a maximum increase (1.7%) in Nou Barris to a minimum in Ciutat Vella (0.2%).
The following data that will allow to deny or confirm the change of the tendency, will be available until next year.
The current number of inhabitants in Barcelona
The new census of Barcelona indicates that the city now has 1,656,725 inhabitants.
However, the number of inhabitants in Barcelona has not changed much over the last decades.
For example, from the 1,745,142 residents in the city in 1970 and if compared with the current figures, Barcelona has always moved in a range of 200,000 inhabitants.
In 1981, the Catalan capital had 1,752,627 inhabitants, the highest figure recorded in the last 50 years. The lowest figure was recorded in 2001 with 1,496,266.
Since 2008 the figures have always remained around 1,600,000 inhabitants, so the data cannot change much today.
The census data refer only to Barcelona, to the city of Barcelona.
But with respect to the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, the subject is different since it doubles the number of inhabitants. In 1975 the AMB had 3,012,029 residents and today there are 3,303,927 (42.6% of the total population of Catalonia).
The census by nationality does not show great variations when comparing the figures with previous months.
In fact, the Spanish population represents 76.8% of the total number of people living in Barcelona. The European Union population is 6.4% of the total and the non-EU population is 16.8%.
Everything seems to indicate that the trend in the number of inhabitants, both in Barcelona itself and in the municipalities of the Metropolitan Area, will remain the same for the coming year.
