The activity of the university and research system in Barcelona generated 10.6 billion euros of GDP in 2023, according to a study by the University of Barcelona commissioned by the City Council. The report also estimates that 147,826 full-time equivalent jobs were created or maintained by this ecosystem during the same year.
This figure positions public universities and research centers as a first-rate economic engine in the city. Their weight reached 4.1% of the GDP of Barcelona and the metropolitan region, as well as 3.6% of Catalonia as a whole, in an area that is often associated more with training and scientific production than with its direct impact on the economy and employment.
The study attributes 147,826 jobs to the university and scientific system
The research presented this Tuesday at the Barcelona City Council maintains that the activity linked to this system allowed for the creation or maintenance of 147,826 full-time equivalent jobs in 2023. This figure is equivalent to 5% of the employed population in the Barcelona metropolitan region and 4.0% of that in Catalonia.
In addition to employment, the report calculates that the university system and public research generated salary income worth 5,575.3 million euros during 2023. The study is signed by a team composed of Jordi Suriñach, Esther Vayá, and Joaquim Murillo.
Barcelona presents a report of this type for the first time
The work was announced at an event held at the City Council with the presence of its authors and the Deputy Mayor for Economy, Housing, Finance, and Tourism, Jordi Valls. The council emphasized that this is the first study of its kind conducted in Barcelona.
"The conclusion is clear: investing in universities and research is one of the most profitable decisions with the greatest social return that a city can make" - Jordi Valls, Deputy Mayor for Economy, Housing, Finance, and Tourism, Barcelona City Council
During the presentation, the municipal government announced its commitment to continue strengthening this university and scientific ecosystem. The report places this impact on the city, the Barcelona metropolitan region, and Catalonia as a whole.
The contribution measured by the University of Barcelona reached 4.1% of Barcelona's GDP in 2023, 4.1% of that of the metropolitan region, and 3.6% of that of Catalonia.