The province of Lleida has 94 localities where only one resident lives, a figure that triples that of 2008, when this situation affected 29 towns. The data appear in the figures of the Nomenclátor of the National Institute of Statistics published in January and show a sustained depopulation both in the Pyrenees and in part of the plain.
The same count also points to an increase in completely empty nuclei. As of January 1, 2026, the INE counts 73 uninhabited villages and aggregated nuclei in the province of Lleida, compared to the 38 that were registered in 2008. To that figure are added 156 scattered settlements also without inhabitants.
The Pallars Jussà heads the list
The region with the most villages or settlements with a single inhabitant is Pallars Jussà, with 27. These are distributed among the municipalities of Gavet de la Conca, Isona i Conca Dellà, Sant Esteve de la Sarga, Sarroca de Bellera, Senterada, Tremp, La Torre de Cabdella and Castell de Mur.
After Pallars Jussà appear Pallars Sobirà, with 20 nuclei or scattered settlements with a single resident, and Alt Urgell, with 19. They are the three Lleida counties most affected by this phenomenon.
In the plain this reality also remains, although with less intensity. The INE places 23 localities with a single inhabitant distributed among 11 in Segarra, 8 in Noguera, 1 in Segrià, 3 in Urgell and 1 in Solsonès.
A census that does not always reflect all the real population
The Nomenclátor statistics are compiled from the update of the register of population centers and entities carried out by the city councils. That implies that in some cases the register does not reflect uncounted residents or that it keeps residents who no longer effectively live there.
That nuance is relevant in regions where part of the housing stock is used only occasionally, especially in the Pyrenees, because they are second homes. The image left by the official figures, in any case, confirms a long-term population loss.
The pandemic did not reverse depopulation
During 2020, Covid attracted new residents to rural municipalities of Lleida. Even so, that movement did not stop depopulation. Half of the localities that gained residents during the health emergency lost them two years later and, in some cases, the population fell even below pre-pandemic levels.
Among the factors that explain this setback appear the difficulty in generating economic activity, the poor condition of many buildings and the deterioration of access to some nuclei.
Life in a village of a single neighbor
One of those cases is Àrreu, in Alt Àneu, where Eloi Renau has lived alone since 2019. His arrival responded to a vital project of his own linked to the territory.
"I bought land, a house and a borda" - Eloi Renau, neighbor of Àrreu
Renau explains that this way of life allows him to continue "without debts", although he admits the wear and tear that daily solitude entails.
"It's getting a bit long for me to go out into the street and not be able to greet anyone" - Eloi Renau, resident of Àrreu
Despite this, rejects the idea of isolation. Maintains that the connection with other nearby municipalities allows him/her to maintain a basic social life.
"I don't feel isolated" - Eloi Renau, resident of Àrreu
"If it's Sunday and I want to go have a vermouth with a friend, I take the car and go. Esterri d"Àneu is 20 minutes away" - Eloi Renau, resident of Àrreu
It also puts the focus on the state of the access road to the village, which it considers essential to guarantee the continuity of life in the nucleus.
"It needs annual maintenance. It is the umbilical cord that connects Àrreu with the Pyrenees" - Eloi Renau, resident of Àrreu
The evolution of the census in Lleida thus leaves a double image. On the one hand, the number of villages where only one person remains grows. On the other, empty settlements increase. Between both extremes, a reality that affects above all the Pyrenees is consolidated and that, for the moment, has not found a stable brake.