Barcelona, Spain Population 2024

Barcelona's 2024 population is now estimated at 5,711,920In 1950, the population of Barcelona was 1,809,390Barcelona has grown by 24,560 in the last year, which represents a 0.43% annual change.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Barcelona, which typically includes Barcelona's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia of Spain and the second-largest city in Spain. Barcelona has an estimated population of 1.7 million in 2016.

The 1.7 million population only includes residents within the administrative limits. Barcelona has an urban area much larger with a population of more than 4.6 million, which makes it the 6th most populous metropolitan area in the European Union behind Paris, London, the Ruhr, Madrid, and Milan. It is estimated that more than 5 million live in the metropolitan area, which is the largest on the Mediterranean Sea.

The city proper has a high population density of 16,000 people per square kilometers (41,000/sq mi). This makes Barcelona one of Europe's most densely populated cities. By far the most densely populated area in the city is Eixample, with 36,000 people per square kilometer (or 92,000 per square mile), as well as the neighborhood of la Sagrada Familia with over 50,000 people per square kilometer.

Barcelona is a leading cultural, sports, economic, tourism, arts, science, fashion, and commerce center. It's the fourth most economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and the 35th in the world, and one of the world's most prosperous city brands.

Barcelona Demographics

62% of the inhabitants of Barcelona were born in Catalonia, while almost 24% come from other areas of Spain. Over 17% of the residents come from other countries, a percentage that is up significantly from less than 4% in 2001. Most come from Pakistan, Italy, China, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Morocco. Barcelona is home to Spain's largest Jewish community with about 3,500 Jews.

Barcelona History

Two legends are told of the founding of Barcelona. One attributes its founding to the mythological Hercules while the other attributes its founding to Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, the father of Hannibal, who named the new city Barcino after his family.

The Romans redrew Barcelona in 15 BC as a military camp. It became a colony called Faventia, which slowly grew in population and importance, eventually minting its own coins. In the 5th century, the city was conquered by the Visigoths, and it was briefly the capital of Hispania. The Arabs later captured it in the 8th century, and again by Charlemagne's son Louis in 801, who made it the seat of the Hispanic March ruled by the Count of Barcelona.

The region was divided into Counties, with the County of Barcelona being the most important. The Counts of Barcelona eventually became independent and began expanding territory to all of Catalonia. Catalonia became part of the Crown of Aragon, until the union of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon caused the city to lose its power. In the 17th century, Catalonia went to war with Spain and declared independence with help from France. Spain did lose parts of the region, which are now French territories. Catalonia was later invaded by French troops under Napoleon, although these territories were returned to Spain after the French Empire fell.

Barcelona gained importance once more in the 19th century during the Industrial Revolution and has since become one of the most well-known and most often visited cities in the world.

Barcelona Population Growth

The city of Barcelona's population remains relatively stable as it is already exceptionally densely populated while the metropolitan area continues to grow steadily. This trend will continue over the next few decades.

Country
Spain
Growth Rate
0.43%

86 Rows

Year
Population
20355,868,910
20345,858,400
20335,847,510
20325,836,190
20315,824,350
20305,811,900
20295,798,640
20285,784,410
20275,769,020
20265,752,150
20255,733,250
20245,711,920
20235,687,360
20225,658,470
20215,624,500
20205,585,560
20195,541,130
20185,494,120
20175,420,750
20165,348,350
20155,276,920
20145,206,440
20135,136,910
20125,068,300
20115,000,420
20104,933,550
20094,867,570
20084,802,560
20074,738,240
20064,674,870
20054,612,350
20044,550,750
20034,489,800
20024,429,760
20014,381,540
20004,355,420
19994,329,390
19984,303,550
19974,277,870
19964,252,370
19954,226,950
19944,201,720
19934,176,640
19924,151,750
19914,126,930
19904,100,810
19894,074,100
19884,047,610
19874,021,220
19863,995,030
19853,969,010
19843,943,200
19833,917,490
19823,891,980
19813,866,640
19803,836,760
19793,804,670
19783,772,890
19773,741,380
19763,710,170
19753,679,140
19743,648,410
19733,617,940
19723,587,760
19713,557,750
19703,482,050
19693,363,780
19683,249,680
19673,139,150
19663,032,530
19652,929,520
19642,830,150
19632,733,900
19622,641,040
19612,551,330
19602,467,930
19592,390,070
19582,314,760
19572,241,840
19562,171,300
19552,102,800
19542,036,550
19531,972,380
19521,910,330
19511,850,060
19501,809,390

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
19501,809,3900%0
19511,850,0602.25%40,670
19521,910,3303.26%60,270
19531,972,3803.25%62,050
19542,036,5503.25%64,170
19552,102,8003.25%66,250
19562,171,3003.26%68,500
19572,241,8403.25%70,540
19582,314,7603.25%72,920
19592,390,0703.25%75,310
19602,467,9303.26%77,860
19612,551,3303.38%83,400
19622,641,0403.52%89,710
19632,733,9003.52%92,860
19642,830,1503.52%96,250
19652,929,5203.51%99,370
19663,032,5303.52%103,010
19673,139,1503.52%106,620
19683,249,6803.52%110,530
19693,363,7803.51%114,100
19703,482,0503.52%118,270
19713,557,7502.17%75,700
19723,587,7600.84%30,010
19733,617,9400.84%30,180
19743,648,4100.84%30,470
19753,679,1400.84%30,730
19763,710,1700.84%31,030
19773,741,3800.84%31,210
19783,772,8900.84%31,510
19793,804,6700.84%31,780
19803,836,7600.84%32,090
19813,866,6400.78%29,880
19823,891,9800.66%25,340
19833,917,4900.66%25,510
19843,943,2000.66%25,710
19853,969,0100.65%25,810
19863,995,0300.66%26,020
19874,021,2200.66%26,190
19884,047,6100.66%26,390
19894,074,1000.65%26,490
19904,100,8100.66%26,710
19914,126,9300.64%26,120
19924,151,7500.6%24,820
19934,176,6400.6%24,890
19944,201,7200.6%25,080
19954,226,9500.6%25,230
19964,252,3700.6%25,420
19974,277,8700.6%25,500
19984,303,5500.6%25,680
19994,329,3900.6%25,840
20004,355,4200.6%26,030
20014,381,5400.6%26,120
20024,429,7601.1%48,220
20034,489,8001.36%60,040
20044,550,7501.36%60,950
20054,612,3501.35%61,600
20064,674,8701.36%62,520
20074,738,2401.36%63,370
20084,802,5601.36%64,320
20094,867,5701.35%65,010
20104,933,5501.36%65,980
20115,000,4201.36%66,870
20125,068,3001.36%67,880
20135,136,9101.35%68,610
20145,206,4401.35%69,530
20155,276,9201.35%70,480
20165,348,3501.35%71,430
20175,420,7501.35%72,400
20185,494,1201.35%73,370
20195,541,1300.86%47,010
20205,585,5600.8%44,430
20215,624,5000.7%38,940
20225,658,4700.6%33,970
20235,687,3600.51%28,890
20245,711,9200.43%24,560
20255,733,2500.37%21,330
20265,752,1500.33%18,900
20275,769,0200.29%16,870
20285,784,4100.27%15,390
20295,798,6400.25%14,230
20305,811,9000.23%13,260
20315,824,3500.21%12,450
20325,836,1900.2%11,840
20335,847,5100.19%11,320
20345,858,4000.19%10,890
20355,868,9100.18%10,510

Barcelona Population Data (Urban Area)

Name
2024 Pop.
2024 Growth
Madrid6,783,2400.47%
Barcelona5,711,9200.43%
Valencia839,7700.18%
Zaragoza740,9380.29%
Seville700,513-0.03%
Malaga594,0500.17%
Murcia514,8550.56%
Palma483,3610.64%
Las Palmas Gran Canaria404,9730.18%
Alicante379,1350.48%
Bilbao346,747-0.09%
Cordoba345,6910.15%
Vigo307,8870.11%
Valladolid301,146-0.16%

Other Cities in Spain

  1. Department of Statistics - Population, household and homes statistics
  2. Official Statistics Website of Catalonia - Barcelona - the municipality in figures

Sources