The multicultural city of Barcelona, which has been growing at an astonishing rate over the past decade, is now beginning to slow down its pace of new immigration. The absorption of foreign immigrants has not only brought new lifestyles and habits but also resulted in 284,632 foreign residents.
Due to the economic crisis and the impact of agreements reached with various countries to regulate immigration flows, this number has started to decline for the first time in the last decade. Among Barcelona's 1.61 million residents (4300 fewer than in 2009), 17.6% are foreigners. The good news for the Barcelona City Council is that the trend of immigrants being distributed throughout the city is continuously increasing, which facilitates the reception of immigrants; however, the Ciutat Vella district still maintains a relatively high immigrant proportion of 40.5%.
Over the past decade, the number of immigrants has been steadily increasing (except in 2007, when the number showed a false decline due to the expiration of the household registration enforcement), growing from 53,428 in 2000 to 294,918 in 2009. New household registrations indicate a decrease of over 10,000 in the foreign population. The decline in European immigration (usually due to work reasons or to pursue higher education) has been relatively small (immigration from the fifteen EU countries decreased by 1%), while among those who migrated out of necessity, the number of South Americans has decreased the most, reaching 8.7%.
By nationality, the countries with the largest decreases in immigrant numbers are Bolivia (decreased by 2,131), Ecuador (decreased by 1,751), Brazil (decreased by 1,592), and Argentina (decreased by 908). Conversely, the new major countries of origin for immigrants are Pakistan (increased by 415), India, Myanmar, and China. The countries with the largest immigrant populations are Italy (22,946, many of whom hold dual citizenship with Argentina), Ecuador (20,459), and Pakistan (18,150).
The first comprehensive decline since 2000 has led Barcelona's First Deputy Mayor Carles Martí to believe that the city is in the final stage of what we call the reception process and is about to enter another integration phase. As foreigners gradually spread throughout the Barcelona area, this path has become smoother, and now no area has less than 11% foreign immigrants. If in 2001, 21% of newly arrived immigrants were concentrated in downtown Barcelona, currently this area accommodates only 14.5% of immigrants. This is indeed the case. Moreover, the identities have diversified; in the Ciutat Vella district, for example, Pakistanis and Filipinos dominate, while in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, the largest groups are Italians, French, and Germans.
Throughout Barcelona, 17.6% are foreigners, but despite foreigners spreading like oil on water, they are still most common in the Ciutat Vella district, reaching 40.5% of local residents. In contrast, in absolute numbers, the area with the highest number of foreigners is el Eixample (46,823), but their proportion only accounts for 16.5% of the total residents.
In 2009, 55 of the 73 districts in Barcelona saw a decrease in non-Spanish populations, especially in the el Raval, la Sagrada Família, Sant Gervasi-Galvany, and Ciutat Meridiana districts. The only slight increase was in the Sant Martí district, but the increase was minimal.
The challenge now facing Barcelona is managing this diversity and ensuring coexistence among its residents, which will inevitably promote mixed marriages (between Spaniards and foreigners) and an increase in children born from such unions. It is estimated that more Asians will be attracted in the future.
