Statistics on affiliates of foreign companies. 2020

The number of affiliates of foreign companies with establishments in Catalonia was 5,974 in 2020. These companies had a turnover of 115,373 million euros, employed 426,726 people and generated a gross value added (GVA) of 28.1 million euros. In 2020, the year of the start of the covid-19 pandemic, the turnover of foreign affiliates fell by 12.1% and GVA by 10.9%. On the other hand, the total number of companies increased by 2.0% and employment by 1.3%.

By country, the affiliates of foreign companies with the parent company in Germany generated the most value added, representing 19.3% of the total generated by affiliates with establishments in Catalonia. The next highest generators of added value were affiliates of companies from France (13.0% of the total generated), the United States (12.0%) and Italy (7.3%). In terms of employees, the affiliates of companies with a German parent company employed the most people (72,407 people, 17.0% of the total), followed by affiliates of companies in France (16.7%).

By sector of activity, the services sector accounted for 44.1% of the number of affiliates of foreign companies with establishments in Catalonia, trade accounted for 39.7% and the industrial sector for the remaining 16.2%. Affiliates in the services sector also employed the most people (182,549, representing 42.8% of the total), followed by those in industry (32.6%) and lastly those in trade (24.6%). On the other hand, affiliates in the industrial sector generated the most GVA (43.2%), followed by those in the services sector (33.4%) and trade (23.4%).

Affiliates of foreign companies represented 1.4% of the companies, but accounted for 31.6% of turnover, 29.2% of GVA and 19.5% of the employed persons of the total number of companies with establishments in Catalonia in the researched sectors.

On the other hand, Idescat also publishes the results of the affiliates of foreign companies based in Catalonia, which in 2020 numbered 4,831 companies. Their turnover was 108,436 million euros, the number of people employed was 414,535 and the GVA they generated was 25,117 million euros.