Population and Housing Census. 2025. Year of arrival and previous place of residence
As of 1 January 2025, there were 2,039,015 foreign-born people residing in Catalonia. 45.2% last arrived there in the 2020-2024 period, 21.4% between 2011 and 2019, 25.8% between 2001 and 2010, and 7.6% arrived before 2001.
An analysis of the year of arrival by place of birth shows major differences: most people born in Catalonia (92%) have always lived there, whereas 8 out of 10 people born in the rest of Spain arrived in Catalonia before 2001. In contrast, the arrival of people born abroad is more recent: 2 out of 3 people arrived in Catalonia after 2010.
As for people born abroad, the years of arrival vary according to the country of birth. The countries with the highest percentages of people who have arrived in Catalonia in the last five years are Colombia (50.7%), Ukraine (58.2%), Pakistan (55.8%), Venezuela (55.6%), Argentina (52.1%) and India (51.9%).
Regarding the population of Catalonia as of 1 January 2025 (8,124,125 people), 13.3% of residents in Catalonia have settled there during the last five years. The highest proportions are found in the counties of El Barcelonès (19.7%), Aran (17.5%) and L’Alt Urgell (15.1%), and the lowest in El Lluçanès (6.7%) and El Moianès (6.9%).
Among municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants, the highest proportions of inhabitants who arrived in Catalonia during the last five-year period are found in Lloret de Mar (24.1%), Salou (23.2%) and Barcelona (21.1%), while the lowest proportions correspond to Castellar del Vallès (4.2%), Sant Quirze del Vallès (5.0%) and Esparreguera (6.1%).
When the year of arrival in the current municipality of residence is considered, counting people who arrived there from abroad as well as from other municipalities in Catalonia and Spain, 23.9% of the population settled there in the last five years. This percentage exceeds 25% in 417 municipalities. Among municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants, the highest values correspond to Calafell (38.7%), Salou (35.4%) and Sitges (33.7%).
On the other hand, 27.5% of the population has always lived in the same municipality where they were born. The highest percentages correspond to La Fatarella (61.1%), Batea (56.1%) and Cardona (54.4%), and the lowest to La Vajol (5.6%), Capafonts (6.1%) and Mont-ral (6.8%). Among municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants, the highest values are those of Tortosa (40.3%), Terrassa (38.8%) and Sabadell (38.1%), and the lowest are those of Calafell (12.9%) and Salou (13.5%).
Data is also provided on the previous place of residence, regardless of the year of migration. 44.9% of the population born in Catalonia has always lived in the same municipality, and 44.7% previously lived in another municipality in Catalonia. 49.9% of the population born in Spain previously lived in another autonomous community, and 42.7% in another municipality in Catalonia. 59.4% of the population born abroad previously lived abroad, and 33.5% in another municipality in Catalonia.
You can consult the main sub-municipal indicators (down to the census tract level) on the year of arrival in Catalonia and in the municipality, in the Maps section of the Idescat website.