Seasonal Population Estimates. 2023
The seasonal population (which reflects the inflows and outflows of the population for reasons of work, study and tourism) shows that the highest seasonal population values in relative terms were recorded in the third quarter of the year. In 2023, of the 479 municipalities for which results are provided, Pals and El Port de la Selva topped the list with a five-fold increase in the census population in summer. Pals welcomed 10,718 people on average per day in the third quarter of 2023 in addition to the 2,566 census inhabitants, while El Port de la Selva welcomed an average of 4,299 people per day in addition to the 1,044 census inhabitants.
Furthermore, Santa Susanna and Sant Pere Pescador quadrupled the average population in the third quarter and Tossa de Mar and Salou tripled it. There are 19 municipalities that doubled the average population in summer, among them municipalities in the Pyrenees such as Alp, Naut Aran and La Vall de Boí.
Meanwhile, in absolute terms Barcelona had the highest seasonal population in the first quarter of the year (136,947 people on average per day) in addition to the 1,655,956 residents. In the third quarter, by contrast, it has a negative seasonal population of 48,839 people on average.
As for the seasonal population on average for the whole of 2023, El Port de la Selva was the municipality with the highest seasonal population in relation to the resident population: the seasonal population in 2023 was equivalent to 1,921 people, a value that represents an increase of 184.0% of the census population (1,044 inhabitants). It was followed by the municipalities of Santa Susanna (with an increase of 164.0% over the census population), Pals (159.3%), Sant Pere Pescador (133.5%) and Naut Aran (125.1%).
Sant Julià del Llor and Bonmatí (−17.0%), Almoster (−16.5%) and Sant Climent de Llobregat (−15.7%) stand out among the municipalities where the seasonal population was negative and, therefore, the population present in the municipality was lower than the census one.
In absolute terms, Barcelona was the municipality in Catalonia with the highest seasonal population, an annual full-time equivalent (AFTE) population of 86,058. Salou (30,920), Lloret de Mar (18,282) and Tarragona (13,791) also stand out. On the other hand, the municipalities with the highest negative seasonal population were L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (AFTE population of −17,667), Badalona (−16,056) and Sabadell (−13,728).