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Population on 1 January. Provinces
Barcelona Girona Lleida Tarragona Catalonia Spain % Cat./Spa.
2024 (p) 5,884,873 821,970 451,641 858,122 8,016,606 48,592,909 16.5
2023 5,797,356 808,672 447,343 848,592 7,901,963 48,085,361 16.4
2022 5,699,602 790,432 440,883 830,906 7,761,823 47,486,727 16.3
2021 5,702,262 784,941 439,258 823,435 7,749,896 47,400,798 16.3
2020 5,702,583 777,339 437,263 815,589 7,732,756 47,318,050 16.3
2019 5,628,011 765,775 432,643 803,471 7,629,889 46,918,951 16.3
2018 5,572,766 756,137 429,832 794,997 7,553,681 46,645,070 16.2
2017 5,534,486 750,206 429,606 790,490 7,504,764 46,497,393 16.1
2016 5,490,505 745,642 429,634 789,909 7,455,671 46,418,884 16.1
2015 5,465,053 743,562 430,991 791,064 7,430,638 46,425,722 16.0
2014 5,463,459 746,451 432,146 796,013 7,438,060 46,495,744 16.0
2013 5,492,810 749,954 436,116 802,294 7,481,158 46,712,650 16.0
2012 5,519,370 751,279 438,075 806,674 7,515,398 46,818,216 16.1
2011 5,508,232 749,509 439,134 804,978 7,501,853 46,667,175 16.1
2010 5,481,511 744,485 435,836 800,212 7,462,044 46,486,621 16.1
2009 5,452,609 737,621 432,482 793,893 7,416,605 46,239,271 16.0
2008 5,376,590 720,204 423,577 777,942 7,298,313 45,668,938 16.0
2007 5,294,659 695,361 411,154 745,560 7,146,734 44,784,659 16.0
2006 5,212,783 667,724 400,595 713,835 6,994,937 44,009,969 15.9
2005 5,127,227 643,599 392,247 683,619 6,846,692 43,296,335 15.8
2004 5,041,008 616,994 380,163 655,132 6,693,297 42,547,454 15.7
2003 4,956,663 594,461 371,956 635,660 6,558,740 41,827,836 15.7
2002 4,840,919 574,342 365,620 617,285 6,398,166 41,035,271 15.6
2001 4,736,307 556,891 358,649 601,458 6,253,305 40,665,545 15.4
2000 4,680,507 546,755 357,413 589,872 6,174,547 40,470,182 15.3
1999 4,665,645 540,468 356,606 584,998 6,147,717 40,303,568 15.3
1998 4,654,236 535,077 356,104 579,922 6,125,339 40,143,449 15.3
1997 4,647,750 530,505 356,055 575,690 6,110,000 39,971,329 15.3
1996 4,646,727 528,716 356,176 573,110 6,104,729 39,808,374 15.3
1995 4,652,704 524,871 355,824 567,584 6,100,983 39,639,726 15.4
1994 4,661,006 521,304 355,727 562,399 6,100,436 39,458,489 15.5
1993 4,666,893 518,050 355,298 556,658 6,096,899 39,264,034 15.5
1992 4,667,573 514,615 354,479 550,672 6,087,339 39,051,336 15.6
1991 4,667,850 512,167 354,264 546,470 6,080,751 38,881,416 15.6
1990 4,659,591 507,677 353,417 541,588 6,062,273 38,853,227 15.6
1989 4,650,123 501,477 352,843 537,026 6,041,469 38,802,300 15.6
1988 4,639,643 496,396 352,754 532,432 6,021,225 38,731,578 15.5
1987 4,628,423 491,222 352,247 527,428 5,999,320 38,638,052 15.5
1986 4,613,696 488,337 352,205 523,794 5,978,032 38,531,195 15.5
1985 4,620,699 484,389 352,931 522,303 5,980,322 38,407,829 15.6
1984 4,624,385 480,321 353,344 520,376 5,978,426 38,252,899 15.6
1983 4,626,788 476,104 353,575 518,354 5,974,821 38,090,151 15.7
1982 4,622,825 471,252 353,299 515,347 5,962,723 37,881,873 15.7
1981 4,617,650 466,581 353,153 512,445 5,949,829 37,635,389 15.8
1970 3,929,194 414,397 347,015 431,961 5,122,567 33,956,047 15.1
1960 2,877,966 351,369 333,765 362,679 3,925,779 30,582,936 12.8
1950 2,232,119 327,321 324,062 356,811 3,240,313 28,117,873 11.5
1940 1,931,875 322,360 297,440 339,299 2,890,974 26,014,278 11.1
1930 1,800,638 325,551 314,435 350,668 2,791,292 23,677,095 11.8
1920 1,349,282 325,619 314,670 355,148 2,344,719 21,388,551 11.0
1910 1,141,733 319,679 284,971 338,485 2,084,868 19,990,669 10.4
1900 1,054,541 299,287 274,590 337,964 1,966,382 18,616,630 10.6
1897 1,051,636 308,864 289,330 341,473 1,991,303 18,089,500 11.0
1887 902,970 306,583 285,417 348,579 1,843,549 17,565,632 10.5
1877 836,887 299,702 285,339 330,105 1,752,033 16,634,345 10.5
1860 726,267 311,158 314,531 321,886 1,673,842 15,673,536 10.7
1857 713,734 310,970 306,994 320,593 1,652,291 15,464,340 10.7
Source:
1857-2011: Catalonia: Idescat. Population Estimates. Source Spain: INE. Population figures.
2012-2024: Catalunya: Idescat. Estimacions de població. Font Espanya: INE. Continuous Population Statistics.
Note: Data from the years 1900-1970 come from the Population Censuses.
(p) Provisional data.

Last update: May 15, 2024.

Methodological note

Definition of concepts

Intercensal population estimates
Calculation of the population by sex and age that connects two censuses. Intercensal estimates replace postcensal once you have the results of a new census of population, and provide final series of population between two censuses.
Postcensal population estimates
Calculation of the population by sex and age in the years after the last census. The postcensal estimates provide the series of population from the last census available, that are calculated adding the natural movement and migration that are recorded annually.

Methodological aspects

The basic information on the population on 1 January and the population structure indicatorsare obtained from the Population Estimates.

The Population Estimates are statistical operations produced annually that provide a headcount of the resident population within Catalonia and its distribution by sex and age. The time reference for the postcensal population estimates is 1st January.

The postcensal population estimates are calculated based on the last available census and the demographic shifts from the corresponding year (birth, death and migration). The information they provide enable us to find out the levels of demographic growth and the shift in the population pyramid on a yearly basis. It also enables us to reliably calculate the demographic, social and economic indicators in which the population groups are the reference denominator, especially when these denominators must be disaggregated according to the features of sex and age.

The early postcensal estimates aim to provide a statistical estimation of the population classified by sex and age as early as possible with respect to the reference date. They are calculated in the second quarter of the year based on the provisional data for demographic flows. The results are kept updated until replaced by the Definitive Post-Census Estimates, calculated once figures for births, deaths and migrations are available for the year of reference.

By taking a new population census tally, the annual figures of the population estimates can be revised in the interim between two censuses, and from this the intercensal population estimates are generated. The production of intercensal estimates, then, consists of retroactively correcting the postcensal population estimates with the aid of the data from the new census. The level of disaggregation of the data is the same as for the postcensal estimates.

When the value is lower than that of the minimum unit to be able to estimate the statistical operation or if it effects statistical confidentiality, the symbol used is "..".