Population and Housing Census 2021. Dwellings
The number of dwellings in Catalonia on 1 January 2021 was 3,915,129, 2,989,357 (76.4%) of which were main family dwellings, i.e., they included registered population. Non-main family dwellings were 925,770 (23.6%). The number of collective dwellings was 3,951.
The counties with the highest percentage of non-main dwellings were Aran (64.3%), La Cerdanya (63.3%), El Pallars Sobirà (62.2%) and L’Alta Ribagorça (60.1%). In terms of municipalities, those with the highest percentage of non-main dwellings were La Coma i la Pedra (84.9%), Naut Aran (83.4%) and Sarroca de Bellera (81.7%).
For the first time, the 3,915,127 conventional family dwellings have been classified according to the intensity of use based on annual electricity consumption, regardless of whether they are main or non-main dwellings. 10.7% of the dwellings were classified as empty, as they had a consumption below a minimum municipal threshold (equivalent to the consumption of 15 days a year). 2.7% of the dwellings were very low use (electricity consumption between the minimum threshold and 250 kWh, equivalent to occupancy for one month). 8.2% of the dwellings were of occasional use (consumption between 251 and 750 kWh, equivalent to occupation for one to three months) and 78.3% were of regular use (consumption above 750 kWh).
The municipalities with the highest percentage of empty dwellings according to this classification are El Perelló (49.6%), Flix (36.1%) and Isona i Conca Dellà (34.5%). The municipalities with the highest percentage of dwellings with sporadic use are La Vall de Boí (31.7%), Llívia (28.5%) and Camprodon (24.8%). By municipality size, municipalities with up to 1,000 inhabitants had the highest percentage of empty dwellings (24.8%) and dwellings of occasional use (11.9%), while municipalities with 50,001 to 100,000 inhabitants had the lowest percentage of empty dwellings (6.5%) and dwellings of occasional use (5.4%).
In terms of tenure status, 69.1% of the main dwellings were owned, 23.2% were rented and 7.7% had other tenure statuses. The counties with the highest percentage of main dwellings owned were La Terra Alta (77.7%), La Conca de Barberà (77.6%) and L’Alt Camp (77.4%), while those with the highest percentage rented were La Cerdanya (30.9%), El Barcelonès (29.1%) and El Pallars Sobirà (27.8%). The county capitals with the highest percentage of main dwellings rented are Puigcerdà (32.7%), Barcelona (31.1%) and Girona (30.9%).
In terms of useful floor area, 9.1% of the main dwellings were up to 45 m², 22.0% from 46 to 60 m², 14.8% from 91 to 120 m² and 13.5% over 120 m². The counties with the highest percentage of dwellings up to 45 m² were El Barcelonès (16.7%), L’Alta Ribagorça (10.1%) and La Selva (9.3%).
The most numerous modality of collective dwellings was residential homes and sheltered housing for the elderly (2,210), followed by religious, military and penitentiary institutions (517) and residential centres for people with disabilities (428).
For the first time, Idescat offers a battery of 15 indicators available for Catalonia, provinces, counties, municipalities, census tract groups and census tracts on the type of dwelling, tenure status, useful floor area and year of construction, and a battery of 4 indicators available for Catalonia, provinces and municipalities with 1,000 inhabitants and more on intensity of use of the dwellings based on electricity consumption.
The results of the indicator section by province, area of the Territorial Plan, county and Aran, municipality, census track group, census district and census tract can be consulted through the map viewer.
Idescat extends the publication of the results of the Population and Housing Census 2021. The results relating to family dwellings and collective dwellings are disseminated. For family dwellings, information is disseminated on the type of dwelling, tenure status, year of construction, useful floor area, type of building, number of floors above ground level in the building, number of floors below ground level in the building and surface area per occupant. Information is also disseminated on family dwellings by intensity of use based on electricity consumption.
The Population and Housing Census 2021 and the Statistics on Main Characteristics of the Population and Housing 2021 provide complementary information on dwellings. The INE Population and Housing Census 2021 has been compiled mostly by combining administrative registers and has been completed with the Statistics on Main Characteristics of the Population and Housing (CEPH), a sample survey to complete the information that is either not available through administrative registers or the quality with which it appears in these registers is not high enough.