Campaigning to halt depopulation with proposals on work, housing, and services

The Covid-19 pandemic was a turning point for the depopulation in Catalonia, with many families moving from Barcelona and other larger cities to inland towns.

Of the 947 municipalities Catalonia has, 593—representing 62.6%—with less than 2,000 inhabitants, and out of these, 332 —56%—do not exceed 500 residents.

This is one of the main challenges facing the next Catalan cabinet after the election on May 12.

All the running parties on Sunday's vote consider that the main options to fight depopulation are work opportunities, improving services, and increasing the housing market.

Pro-independence and the governing party since 2021, Esquerra Republicana, considers the Estatut del Municipi Rural (rural municipalities norm) the way forward. However, such a proposal did not go through because president Pere Aragonès called a snap election after the 2024 budget did not pass in a parliamentary vote in March.

The party proposes that these city councils would have a "direct benefit," and they highlight the plan to set up more banking offices or on-demand public transport.

On another level, the Socialists believe that focusing the resources on industrializing the Catalan soil would "make it easier" for companies to choose the territory for their economic activities.

But they warn that such plans need to be accompanied by easier housing market access and more services for rural areas, such as education or health centers nearby. "Less than a 30-minute drive," the Socialist spokesperson, Alícia Romero, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

Meanwhile, Junts+ focuses on improving digital infrastructure, which is "crucial" to having talent across the territory and to generating business, as Josep Rull, a member of the party, said. The party is also favoring a new urbanism law, as they consider the current one as "inefficient."

Despite sharing a common goal regarding the relationship between Spain and Catalonia, pro-independence parties do not have a similar idea of tackling depopulation in rural Catalonia.

Far-left CUP favors on, similar to the left-wing Comuns party, forcing most of the policies on housing as there needs to be more public housing, and speculation has increased prices, CUP members say.

One of their policies will be to impose higher taxation on second residences, as these are also some of the problems in the housing market in rural Catalonia.

Comuns, also focusing on tourism, believes tourist apartments should be limited, and authorities must build 4,500 new public houses.

On the opposite side, the conservative People's Party backs people having a second residence as they are also a "benefit to the territory as they give economic activity to the municipalities," Santi Rodríguez, a member of the PP in Barcelona, told ACN.

Liberal Ciudadanos consider that the recent rent cap law in place in Catalonia has not worked, and they back having a large public housing market, something they claim that the Catalan and Spanish governments have failed on.

Far-right Vox proposes reducing taxes to all those residents living in municipalities with less than 2,000 inhabitants. The party also considers, similar to what other political forces suggest, to improve public transport and the internet connection in such areas.