Number of young Catalans abroad rises 115% in nine years

The number of young Catalans going to live abroad went up by 41,108 people between 2009 and 2018, a 115% increase in nine years. The figures come from Catalonia’s statistics office, Idescat, and are part of a recent report from the UGT trade union.

While at the beginning of 2009 there were 35,550 young Catalans between the ages of 15 and 34 living abroad, by January 1 2018 this number had risen to 76,558. The union attributes the rise to the difficulty young people face in finding a secure, well-paid job at home.

According to the union, many young people in Catalonia are overqualified, and in 2017 some 37% of under-34s were in a job below their education level. The report also shows that half of people between 16 and 29 who have jobs are on temporary contracts, with 28% just working part time.  

Upward trend continues

While the figures show a slowing down in the rate of young people leaving, the trend is still continuing. In 2017, some 4,775 young Catalans went to live abroad, 6.6% more than in the previous year. It does not seem as if the economic upturn is having much effect in reversing the trend.

In the past nine years, most of those leaving the country (61% of the total) are from the Barcelona area. In and around the Catalan capital the percentage rise in young emigrants is higher (117%) than the average for the country. The main destinations were Argentina, France and Germany.