Barcelona is a mosaic of neighborhoods that pulse at different rhythms, united by streets and squares, but often separated by invisible barriers. Walking from the foothills of Collserola to the labyrinths of the Old Town is a journey not only through architecture and daily life, but also through the vastly different economic realities that shape the daily lives of its residents.
To put exact figures on this snapshot, the National Institute of Statistics (INE) published its Household Income Atlas on Monday, featuring data for the year 2024. This detailed map breaks down the average gross income (before taxes) of households, revealing street by street how money is distributed in the Catalan capital and making clear the persistence of a gap that refuses to disappear.
The Two Extremes of the City
If you take a closer look at the map, the balance of wealth tilts decisively. Families living in Sant Gervasi-Galvany and Pedralbes have the highest gross income in the entire city, averaging 167,076 euros per year.
This amount is more than five times the income at the opposite end of the ranking. The area with the lowest income is in Nou Barris, specifically in the Can Peguera neighborhood, where households earn an average of 29,645 euros per year. This area is closely followed by other parts of the same district, such as Ciutat Meridiana (31,348 euros) and Trinitat Nova (31,514 euros). Next comes an area in the Raval, where income stands at 32,633 euros.
A breakdown by district
When the information is grouped by district, the contrast between the affluent areas and the more modest ones becomes evident. Sarrià-Sant Gervasi tops the list by a wide margin, with an average income of 130,928 euros per household. It is followed by the district of Les Corts as the second-most affluent area, with 93,784 euros.
On the flip side, income in the less affluent areas amounts to barely a third of what is earned in the wealthier neighborhoods. The districts with the closest figures are Nou Barris, at 44,868 euros, and Ciutat Vella, which records a nearly identical average of 44,923 euros.
Barcelona versus the rest of the country
Despite these internal disparities, Barcelona as a whole ranks well above the general standard of living. The average gross household income in Barcelona is 66,193 euros, a figure that comfortably exceeds the average of 57,176 euros in Catalonia and the 47,046 euros for Spain as a whole.
The INE report, which also analyzes municipalities with more than 2,000 residents, ranks two Catalan towns among the wealthiest in the country. Although the top three spots are held by the Community of Madrid—led by Pozuelo de Alarcón (148,589 euros) and Boadilla del Monte (131,904 euros)—the Vallès town of Matadepera ranks third nationally with 130,855 euros. A little further behind, solidifying its position as the second-wealthiest town in Catalonia, is another municipality in Vallès Occidental, Sant Cugat del Vallès, with an income of 111,774 euros.
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