Population and Housing Census. 2022-2023. Foreign population
The foreign population resident in Catalonia was 1,361,981 on 1 January 2023, representing 17.2% of the Catalan population. The number of foreigners increased by 10.2% compared to the previous year. The increase in the foreign population was reflected in all Catalan counties, led by La Cerdanya (16.2%), El Ripollès (15.2%), La Garrotxa and El Barcelonès (both 13.2%).
Variations in the number of foreigners were not only affected by the intensity of inflows and outflows of foreign migration but also by the evolution of their natural growth and the naturalisation process of this population. In 2022, 48,901 foreigners living in Catalonia obtained Spanish nationality.
The highest proportions of foreign population were recorded in the counties of La Segarra (28.8%), L'Alt Empordà (25.4%) and El Barcelonès (22.6%). In contrast, smaller proportions of foreign population were registered in the counties of El Vallès Oriental (10.0%), L'Anoia and El Moianès (both 10.1%).
In Catalonia there were 46 municipalities in which the percentage of foreign population was higher than 25%. The highest percentages of foreign population were in the municipalities of Guissona (52.7%), Castelló d'Empúries (44.9%), La Portella (39.8%), Lloret de Mar (38.8%) and Salt (37.8%).
The foreign population living in Catalonia was represented by more than 170 nationalities. Of these, the Moroccan population was the largest (with 234,054 people, representing 17.2% of the foreign population) and with a higher proportion of men than women (56.8% and 43.2%, respectively). The second nationality with the largest presence in Catalonia was Romanian (with 86,751 people, accounting for 6.4% of the foreign population) and the proportion of women and men was 51.1% and 48.9%, respectively. The next nationalities were Italian (with 80,808 people, representing 5.9% of the total number of foreigners and a male proportion of 53.9%) and Colombian (with 76,407 people, accounting for 5.6% of foreigners).
The Ukrainian population represented 3.0% of the total number of foreign residents in Catalonia (40,615 people; 16,116 men and 24,499 women) and in the county of La Segarra they accounted for 21.1% of foreign residents.
By continent of origin, the European population was the largest in Catalonia on 1 January 2023, accounting for 31.5% of the foreign population living in Catalonia, of which 22.2% was from the European Union and 9.3% from the rest of Europe. Second place went to the American population (30.8%) followed by the African population (23.9%).
Compared to the previous year, by nationality, the increases in the population from Colombia (22,801), Ukraine (17,581), Peru (10,897), Honduras (8,025) and Venezuela (7,403) stand out. According to continent of origin, the American population increased the most in absolute (68,914 people) and relative (19.6%) terms. It was followed by Europe, with an increase in EU citizens by 13,648 people (4.7%) and 25,141 people from the rest of Europe (24.7%).
From 2021 onwards, the annual Population Census is considered the reference statistical source for the foreign population. The Municipal Population Register provides the foreign population series from 2000 to 2022.