Foreign-born nationals account for a quarter of Catalonia's population

Catalonia is home to over 8 million people, with a quarter—more than 2 million—born outside Spain, according to data published on Thursday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), based on figures collected as of January 1.

There are 2,028,315 foreign-born residents in the region, making up 24.98% of the population. In the last quarter of 2024 alone, 30,000 more migrants settled in Catalonia compared to the previous quarter, while the total number of foreign-born residents increased by 121,633 compared to 2023.

Just 20 years ago, the foreign-born population accounted for 12.2% of Catalonia's inhabitants, less than half of what it currently stands on, according to data published by INE.

The uptrend during the first years of the century was slightly halted during the financial crisis. However, since 2016, it has been unstoppable, with a five-percentage-point increase in the last four years.

In 2024, the Catalan-born population increased by 107,319 people, while the foreign-born population increased by 121,633. A similar trend was recorded by the Catalan Statistics Institute and published a week ago, where migration helped increase the number of inhabitants despite a lower birth rate.

Analyzing INE's data by age shows that those born abroad are mainly aged between 20 and 49, with a predominance of those between 30 and 34 representing 47.6% of all residents from that age range, and those between 35 and 39 representing 45.4%, and those between 25 and 29 accounting for 44.3%.

One out of ten is older than 75

The birth rate continues to decline. For the first time ever regarding annual data, as of January 1, 2025, there were 55,138 people over the age of 80—outnumbering those under one year old, who totaled 53,768.

The number of newborns is the lowest recorded since 1995.

Back in 1971, when data registering started, newborns multiplied by seven, those aged 80 years or older.

Currently, one out of ten inhabitants is older than 75, while those aged 65 or older represent 20% of the Catalan population.

On January 1 of this year, 2,919 people were 100 years or older in Catalonia, an all-time high.

Spain's population has also increased with the arrival of foreign-born nationals, as they now represent 19.1% of the country's inhabitants.

By January 1, 2025, Spain had over 49 million inhabitants.