Statistics on affiliates of foreign companies. 2021

The number of affiliates of foreign companies with establishments in Cataloniawas 7,355 in 2021, a figure that represents 1.3% of the total number of companies within the analysed sectors. The establishments of these companies had a turnover in Catalonia of 132,892 million euros (30.4% of the turnover of the total number of companies), employed 471,707 people (18.2% of the total) and generated a gross value added (GVA) of 32,524 million euros (27.2% of the total).

By country, affiliates of foreign companies with a parent company in Germany generated the most added value at 18.7% of the total generated by affiliates with establishments in Catalonia. They were followed by affiliates of companies from France (14.0% of the total generated), the United States (12.0%) and Luxembourg (8.1%). In terms of employees, the affiliates of companies with a parent company in Germany employed the most people (78,468 people, 16.6% of the total), followed by affiliates from France (16.1%).

By activity sector, the service sector accounted for 45.9% of the number of foreign company affiliates with establishments in Catalonia, trade for 36.3% and industry for the remaining 17.8%. Affiliates in the service sector also employed the most people (230,207), followed by industry (133,918 people) and finally trade (107,583 people). The turnover of industrial affiliates represented 44.5% of the turnover of the total number of affiliates of foreign companies with establishments in Catalonia, compared with 35.5% for those in trade and 20.0% for those in services. In terms of GVA, affiliates in the industrial sector generated the most (39.6%), followed by those in the services sector (38.2%) and those in trade (22.2%).

Affiliates of foreign companies in the branch of activity Wholesale trade and intermediaries had the highest turnover (24.8% of the total number of affiliates of foreign companies), followed by Chemical and pharmaceutical industries (10.5%) and Manufacture of motor vehicles and other transport equipment (10.2%).

The industrial sector was where affiliates of foreign companies with establishments in Catalonia had the highest share of the total number of companies in the sector in terms of turnover (38.0% of the sector's total), the number of people employed (26.9%) and GVA generated (35.8%). Trade was the sector with the second largest presence with a share in turnover of 28.5%, 18.9% of employees and 27.9% of the total GVA generated by this sector.

Idescat also publishes the results of the affiliates of foreign companies based in Catalonia, which numbered 6,020 companies in 2021. Their turnover was 123,376 million euros, the number of people employed 451,535 and the gross value added they generated was 28,924 million euros.