Record figure: foreigners now account for 23.6% of Barcelona’s population

The city’s population is increasingly more diverse. This is reflected in the figures from the latest municipal register of residents published by Barcelona City Council. The number of people with foreign nationalities registered as residents in Barcelona on 1 January 2023 stood at 391,703, an increase of 7.8% compared to the previous year. If we consider the population born in another country, the figure is even higher: 519,066 people, 31.3% of the total inhabitants. Of these, 28.9% already hold Spanish nationality.

The international community currently represents 23.6% of the total number of residents. The data for 2023 offset the impact of the pandemic, which caused a reduction in the number of foreign residents in the city, regaining the upward trend that started in 2015.

L’Eixample has become firmly established as the district with the largest international population during these years and is home to 18% of the city’s foreigners (over 70,000 people). The next district is Sant Martí, with 13.3% (52,018 people), followed by Ciutat Vella, with 12.2% (47,666 people).

Where does Barcelona’s international community come from?

These nearly 400,000 inhabitants represent 177 different nationalities in the city. The largest groups are Italians, with over 45,000, Colombians (23,000), Pakistanis (22,800) and Chinese (20,000).

However, the report notes that among residents of Argentinian origin just 30.4% have Argentinian nationality, while 37.3% are Italian nationals and 32.3% Spanish. This particular aspect arises from the fact that Argentinians can obtain Italian nationality if they have Italian ancestry. As a result, an analysis of the origin of Italian residents in the city shows that a third of these actually come from South America.

The South American community continues to grow in the city, with 11 of the 20 largest populations of foreign origin from countries in Central or South America. The main difference in the 2023 figures is that people from the Americas have now overtaken Europeans as the largest group, up 17.7% on last year.

Residents with European Union nationalities account for just over 107,000 people, a similar figure to last year, representing 27.3% of the city’s foreigners. In contrast, the number of non-EU nationalities has risen significantly by 10.8% and now accounts for 284,960 people, 72.7% of the international community.

The academic profile of foreigners registered as living in Barcelona is highly diverse depending on origins. Overall, 43.2% have university or higher vocational and educational training qualifications. That figure rises to 64.9% if we take into account only those from the European Union. There is also a high level of education or vocational training among foreigners from the USA and Canada (77%), as well as Australia and New Zealand (74.5%).