BARCELONA & CATALONIA IN FIGURES
Taking into account registration of “empadronamientos” in 2005. Spain now has 44million inhabitants, an increase of 900,000 over 2004, a result of immigration (2007 figures)

The main countries of origin of new arrivals to Spain were Morocco, followed by Ecuador and Romania, with the UK in fourth place (around 50,000). Immigrants now account for over 8% of the population of the country as a whole; in Catalonia they represent 11.42%.

The total population of Catalonia population is now almost 7 million (6,995,206) an increase of 2.67% on 2004. The population of the city of Barcelona is 1,593,075.

According to Arkaitz Fullaondo (co-author of a 2008 UPC study on migration), immigrants were responsible for 95% of the growth of the Barcelona Metropolitan area. The analisis remarks that the Latino population with lower academic studies (namely Equatorians, Dominicans and Bolivians) has settled in the traditional blue collar districs such as Nou Bsrris (metro L4), Cornella, Santa Coloma (L5), L'Hospitalet and Badalona whilst South Americans with traditionally higher academic achievement (Argentinians, Colombians and Peruvians).have settled in middle class neighbourhoods such as Eixample. On the other hand, subsahara African immigrantion and immigrants from Eastern Europe have largely chosen to settle in more rural areas.

The number of immigrants doubled 20,000 to 200,000 between 1996 and 2006.(Source: 2008 UPC study on migration )

Immigration hotline: The Generalitat of Catalunya has a new telephone information service on immigration on the 012 line.