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Companies on 1 January. By activity sectors and legal status

Companies on 1 January. By activity sectors and legal status Catalonia. 2023
Industry Construction Services Total
Companies with establishments in Catalonia 33,205 (b) Break in time series 67,816 (b) Break in time series 499,069 (b) Break in time series 600,090 (b) Break in time series
Physical persons 10,414 (b) Break in time series 34,192 (b) Break in time series 279,416 (b) Break in time series 324,022 (b) Break in time series
Corporations 3,250 (b) Break in time series 1,236 (b) Break in time series 9,173 (b) Break in time series 13,659 (b) Break in time series
Limited companies 17,711 (b) Break in time series 29,385 (b) Break in time series 159,924 (b) Break in time series 207,020 (b) Break in time series
Others 1,830 (b) Break in time series 3,003 (b) Break in time series 50,556 (b) Break in time series 55,389 (b) Break in time series
Companies with head offices in Catalonia 32,275 (b) Break in time series 67,258 (b) Break in time series 492,201 (b) Break in time series 591,734 (b) Break in time series
Physical persons 10,396 (b) Break in time series 34,172 (b) Break in time series 278,587 (b) Break in time series 323,155 (b) Break in time series
Corporations 2,858 (b) Break in time series 1,140 (b) Break in time series 7,802 (b) Break in time series 11,800 (b) Break in time series
Limited companies 17,190 (b) Break in time series 29,017 (b) Break in time series 155,482 (b) Break in time series 201,689 (b) Break in time series
Others 1,831 (b) Break in time series 2,929 (b) Break in time series 50,330 (b) Break in time series 55,090 (b) Break in time series
Source: Idescat, based on the INE's Central companies directory (DIRCE).
Notes:
From the reference date of 1 January 2019, the concept of a company changed from the legal unit to the statistical unit. Consequently, that year's results are not strictly comparable with those of previous years.
The new definition of economically active company affects the calculation of the number of companies and establishments and, therefore, the data as of 1 January 2023 are not comparable with those of previous years.
(b) Break in time series.

Last update: February 29, 2024.

Methodological note

Definition of concepts

Company
The smallest combination of legal units constituting an organisational unit for the production of goods or services, one having certain autonomy in terms of decision-making, principally for allocating the resources it has at its disposal.
Establishment
Company (or part of a company) located in a specific geographical location at which economic activities are conducted on behalf of the company.

Methodological aspects

Information is offered on the Statistics on companies and establishments that Idescat produceson the basis of the Central Companies Directory (DIRCE) published by the INE. This operation presents the number of companies and establishments with activity in Catalonia in accordance with different criteria: by activity sectors, by legal status and by number of wage-earners. The DIRCE covers all economic activities except agricultural production and fishing, central, regional and local Administration's administrative services (including social services), the activities of property owner groups and domestic services.

It should be considered that in these statistics, when classifying companies by activity sector and number of wage-earners, reference is made to the sector and wage-earners in the company as a whole (if the company has wage-earners outside of Catalonia, they are also included).

Until the 2018 reference year, the concept of the company was coterminous with the legal unit, but it changed from 2019 on. The new statistical concept of the company has to do with the company's organisational structure, autonomy of decision and market orientation. To sum up, the economic factors of units are prioritised over a traditional vision, which is more orientated at legal aspects. The legal units that do not form part of groups of companies continue to be considered companies in their own right.

The new definition of economically active company, after Regulation 2019/2152 on European business statistics (EBS) and Implementing Regulation 2020/1197 came into force, affects the calculation of the number of companies and establishments; therefore, the data as of 1 January 2023 are not comparable with those of previous years.

You can get more information about these statistics in the methodology.