Catalonia's population grows by nearly 100,000 while youth numbers continue to decline

Catalonia reached a new population record of 8 million inhabitants last year and has not stopped growing since then.  

As of July 1, 2024, the total number of inhabitants reached 8,067,454, an increase of nearly 100,000 residents (1.2%) over the past year, with more than 50,000 added in the first half of 2024 alone.   

A notable trend is the continued decline in the youth population. The number of residents under the age of 16 fell by nearly 10,000 in the first six months of the year, and is down 16.4% in 2019.

Meanwhile, other age groups are growing. The working age population (16-64) increased by about 44,000, while the senior population (65+) grew by about 17,000.

The percentage of residents 65 and older has increased from 18.9% to 19.6% over the past five years.

In terms of regional population growth, Girona and Tarragona led the way with the highest population growth rates of 1.3% each.

Barcelona saw an increase of 1.2%, or approximately 37,429 residents, and Lleida experienced a growth of 1.1%.

These demographic shifts could have a significant impact on various sectors across Catalonia, including education, workforce planning, healthcare and social services.

To learn more about the impact of Catalonia's population growth, listen to this episode of our podcast Filling the Sink.