The population of Barcelona between 25 and 39 years old A lot has changed in a quarter of a century. As the data and experts in this report explain, they are already less than a third those registered in the Catalan capital who were born there (31%), while six out of ten are foreigners (57%) with more varied profiles than ever. This ‘young adult’ of today is, furthermore, mostly from the so-called generation millennial. Two realities that coexist and generate paradoxes, like an almost antagonistic perception and experience of the city. This is exemplified by two neighbors of the Sagrada Família, one who moves out of dissatisfaction and another who is a foreigner who has put down roots.
In each of the 73 neighborhoods the percentage of natives and foreigners for each age group is different. The graphics and map below, prepared by the Infographic team of El Periódico based on the 2023 registry data from Barcelona City Council, portray the social composition of each neighborhood. The migratory waves of the 60s and 70s can be clearly observed, who settled in peripheral neighborhoods of the city and today are retired Barcelonans. The migratory wave of the real estate bubble can also be seen, with very labor-intensive and precarious nature. And the current arrival of a middle and upper class migration, often for temporary stays, who opt for living in the center and push prices up.
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On the one hand, the map of immigration presence in this age group reveals many singularities and combats topics. Neighborhoods with few foreign-born young people are not strictly the richest in the city. There are well-off ones like Tres Torres, yes, with a very low ratio. But also other ‘workers’ such as Can Peguera and Canyelles, in the Nou Barris district. These are two cases of neighborhoods that are emptied due to aging, as this newspaper reported.
The complete graphs of all age groups in each neighborhood explain much more about the history and present of Barcelona capital. Baró de Viver has little to do with Ciutat Meridiana in terms of origins in the adult generations, despite being areas characterized by a humble population since their origin. The Gothic neighborhood, as EL PERIÓDICO also radiographed a few days ago, has been repopulated through the new mix of immigrants of different economic levels and has accomplished a population substitution that social movements have warned about for many years.