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Population as of 1 January. Counties and Aran, areas and provinces

Population as of 1 January. Counties and Aran, areas and provinces Catalunya
Value Variation (%)
2025 8,124,126 1.4
2024 8,012,231 1.4
2023 7,901,963 1.8
2022 7,761,823 0.2
2021 7,749,896 0.2
2020 7,732,756 1.3
2019 7,629,889 1.0
2018 7,553,681 0.7
2017 7,504,764 0.7
2016 7,455,671 0.3
2015 7,430,638 -0.1
2014 7,438,060 -0.6
2013 7,481,158 -0.5
2012 7,515,398 0.2
2011 7,501,853 0.5
2010 7,462,044 0.6
2009 7,416,605 1.6
2008 7,298,313 2.1
2007 7,146,734 2.2
2006 6,994,937 2.2
2005 6,846,692 2.3
2004 6,693,297 2.1
2003 6,558,740 2.5
2002 6,398,166 2.3
2001 6,253,305 1.3
2000 6,174,547 0.4
1999 6,147,717 0.4
1998 6,125,339 0.3
1997 6,110,000 0.1
1996 6,104,729 0.1
1995 6,100,983 0.0
1994 6,100,436 0.1
1993 6,096,899 0.2
1992 6,087,339 0.1
1991 6,080,751 0.3
1990 6,062,273 0.3
1989 6,041,469 0.3
1988 6,021,225 0.4
1987 5,999,320 0.4
1986 5,978,032 0.0
1985 5,980,322 0.0
1984 5,978,426 0.1
1983 5,974,821 0.2
1982 5,962,723 0.2
1981 5,949,829 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available
Source:
1981-2020: Idescat. Population Estimates.
2021-2025: Idescat, based on the INE Annual Population Census.
Notes:
As of May 2023, the data are presented according to the current territorial distribution (in accordance with Law 7/2023, on the creation of El Lluçanès county, which also territorially modifies Osona).
The new county of El Moianès was created on 1 May 2015 (Law 4/2015, of 23 April, on the creation of the county of El Moianès) from the aggregation of five municipalities of the county of El Bages, one from the county of Osona and four from the county of El Vallès Oriental.
From March 2014 onwards, eight municipalities in L'Anoia will change designation and will belong to El Penedès region of the Central Counties (The GOV/21/2014).
Law 23/2010, of July 22, on the creation of the area of Penedès, divides Catalonia into eight territorial planning areas.

Last update: December 2, 2025.

Methodological note

Definition of concepts

Intercensal population estimates
Calculation of the population by sex and age that connects two censuses. Intercensal estimates replace postcensal once you have the results of a new census of population, and provide final series of population between two censuses.
Postcensal population estimates
Calculation of the population by sex and age in the years after the last census. The postcensal estimates provide the series of population from the last census available, that are calculated adding the natural movement and migration that are recorded annually.

Methodological aspects

A partir de 2021 la font d'informació és el cens de població.

El Cens de població té periodicitat anual a partir de l'any 2021 i s'elabora mitjançant la combinació de registres administratius, on el Padró d'habitants n'és l'element bàsic. En l'elaboració del Cens de població s'apliquen tractaments i procediments estadístics que inclouen contrastos amb altres fonts i permeten oferir un recompte estadístic més acurat de la població i de les seves característiques que el Padró d'habitants.

The Population Estimates are statistical operations produced annually that provide a headcount of the resident population within Catalonia and its distribution by sex and age. The time reference for the postcensal population estimates is 1st January.

The postcensal population estimates are calculated based on the last available census and the demographic shifts from the corresponding year (birth, death and migration). The information they provide enable us to find out the levels of demographic growth and the shift in the population pyramid on a yearly basis. It also enables us to reliably calculate the demographic, social and economic indicators in which the population groups are the reference denominator, especially when these denominators must be disaggregated according to the features of sex and age.

The early postcensal estimates aim to provide a statistical estimation of the population classified by sex and age as early as possible with respect to the reference date. They are calculated in the second quarter of the year based on the provisional data for demographic flows. The results are kept updated until replaced by the Definitive Post-Census Estimates, calculated once figures for births, deaths and migrations are available for the year of reference.

By taking a new population census tally, the annual figures of the population estimates can be revised in the interim between two censuses, and from this the intercensal population estimates are generated. The production of intercensal estimates, then, consists of retroactively correcting the postcensal population estimates with the aid of the data from the new census. The level of disaggregation of the data is the same as for the postcensal estimates.

For further information about these statistics, you may check the methodology.