Barcelona, May 30 – The latest municipal census data, updated to January 1 of this year, reveals that Barcelona experienced its second-lowest birth rate since 1900 in 2025. A total of 11,012 babies were born, marking a 1.3% decrease from the previous year. The only year with fewer births was 1939, the final year of the Spanish Civil War, when approximately 9,000 births were recorded in a city with a population of around one million.
Sustained Decline in Births and an Aging Population
The decline in Barcelona’s birth rate has been a consistent trend since the late 1970s, with a brief recovery in the first decade of the 21st century. In contrast, deaths in 2025 totaled 14,557, a 1% decrease. This persistent fall in births is a primary driver of demographic transformation in the city. Households without minors continue to shrink, now representing only 21.4% of the total, while nearly a third of all households are single-person units.
As a result, Barcelona’s population is aging, with the average age rising to 44.6 years. The number of centenarians is also on the rise, nearing 1,200 individuals, 82% of whom are women.
Stable Population Amidst Significant Migration
Despite these internal shifts, Barcelona’s population remains relatively stable at 1.7 million people, specifically 1,729,963 residents, a 0.1% decrease of 2,000 people from the previous year. This figure represents the second-highest population recorded in 41 years.
María Jesús Calvo, head of the Statistics and Dissemination department at Barcelona Dades, the Municipal Data Office of the City Council, explained, “Beneath this apparent tranquility, the data reveals interesting underlying migratory movements. Although not at their peak, these movements remain significant. There were 150,000 entries and 135,000 exits.”
Calvo further noted, “These high migratory flows are stabilizing: there are many departures because the census situations of people who did not live in Barcelona but had arrived in Barcelona are being regularized. This shows that the city continues to function as a physical and administrative gateway, but many people do not settle permanently.”
Rising Educational Levels and Shifting Demographics
Another notable trend is the increasing educational attainment of the population. A significant 37.4% of residents over 16 years old hold a university degree or higher qualification. This percentage is two points higher among women. Among the foreign-born population, those with higher education reach 42.7%, and among new residents, this figure rises to 44%, “highlighting the growing weight of qualified human capital,” according to the city council.
The native-born population continues to decline, now representing 44.6% of the total, a consistent trend over the past two decades. The foreign-born population is close to 630,000 people, with the main nationalities being Argentinian, Colombian, and Pakistani.
Source: elpais.com
