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Martorell, Arbúcies and Valls lead growth in GDP per capita in Catalonia
Discover which Catalan municipalities have broken records for economic growth. Martorell, Arbúcies and Valls stand out with figures far above the average. Which sectors are driving this progress? See the full ranking and the key data.
Martorell, Arbúcies and Valls have positioned themselves as the Catalan municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants with the highest per-capita GDP growth in 2023. According to data from the Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya (Idescat), these municipalities recorded increases of 51.9%, 26.7% and 23.6% respectively, well above the Catalan average of 7.2%.
Martorell’s case stands out in particular, as its per-capita GDP exceeded €200,000 for the first time, reaching €206,550. This makes it the municipality with the highest per-capita GDP in Catalonia in 2023, followed by Vandellòs and L'Hospitalet de l'Infant (€123,530), Catellbisbal (€113,553) and la Canonja (€112,836).
At the other end, ten municipalities have per-capita GDP below €15,000. They include Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Torrelles de Llobregat, Vilanova del Camí, Calafell, Piera, Roda de Ter, Canyelles, Cunit, Santa Margarida de Montbui and Badia del Vallès.
The sectoral analysis reveals that industry is the main economic activity in 24 municipalities. Martorell leads with an industrial share of 86.5%, driven by the Seat plant. It is followed by la Canonja (82.5%), with its petrochemical complex, and Vandellòs and l'Hospitalet de l'Infant (79.6%), home to a nuclear power plant. All these municipalities far exceed the Catalan average industrial share of 19.2%.
However, in most municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants and county capitals, services dominate the economy. In 92 municipalities, the services share exceeds the Catalan average of 75.1%, with Salou (94.7%) and Alella (92.1%) standing out.
As for municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, all experienced positive per-capita GDP developments in 2024 compared with the previous year. Castelldefels (7.7%) and Mollet del Vallès (7.5%) lead growth, while Rubí recorded the smallest increase (5.2%).
Of the 23 municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, nine exceed Catalonia’s average per-capita GDP of €39,531. El Prat de Llobregat heads the list with €77,939, followed by Sant Cugat del Vallès (€59,780) and Barcelona (€56,360). Girona, Cornellà de Llobregat, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Granollers, Lleida and Tarragona also stand out.