Barcelona sijoittuu maailman yhdeksänneksi resilientimmäksi kaupungiksi ja kahdeksanneksi houkuttelevimmaksi ulkomailla työskentelemiseen
Barcelona has been ranked as the 9th most resilient city in the world and the fourth in Europe, standing out for its public transportation offerings and integration of vulnerable populations. This information comes from the Resilient Cities Index for 2023, compiled by Economist Impact and highlighted in the 2023 report from Observatori Barcelona. The report provides an overview of the city’s situation on an international level across 35 indicators. Jointly prepared by the Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, the report also positions the Catalan capital as the eighth most attractive city in the world for working abroad, according to The Boston Consulting Group’s Decoding Global Talent 2024 report, placing Barcelona ahead of cities like Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Paris. This ranking represents a one-spot climb from the previous year. Additionally, Barcelona is the 10th most attractive city in the world for digital experts seeking international work opportunities, according to BCG’s Decoding the Digital Talent Challenge report.
In the resilience ranking, led by New York, Los Angeles, and London, the Catalan capital has achieved a score of 79.0 points in the global classification. In terms of partial results, Barcelona ranks 2nd in public transportation mobility for residents and in the integration of vulnerable populations, 6th in cybersecurity preparedness for a digital city, 10th in air quality, 11th in worker education levels, and 14th in innovation incentives.
Foreign Investment
In addition to being recognized as one of the best cities to work abroad, Barcelona also maintains its position for the third consecutive year as the European city with the best strategy for attracting foreign investment projects, according to the FDi Cities and Regions of the Future 2024 report (Financial Times group), surpassing London and Berlin. Specifically, Barcelona ranks 7th among regions worldwide in attracting foreign investment projects, according to the Dubai FDI Annual Results & Rankings 2022 report, compiled using data from Financial Times Ltd’s fDi Markets database.
Barcelona, Among the Most Competitive and Attractive
For the eighth consecutive year, the city is also among the top 25 cities in global competitiveness, according to the Global Power City Index report, which compares 48 major cities and positions the Catalan capital at 22nd globally and 11th in Europe, ahead of cities like Brussels, Geneva, and Milan.
Furthermore, Barcelona ranks as the 8th city in the world and the third in Europe in terms of attractiveness for visitors, entrepreneurs, and residents, according to the World’s Best Cities Report 2024 by Resonance Consultancy Ltd. In fact, over the past six years, Barcelona has consistently made it into the global ’Top 10’ of the most attractive cities, excelling in aspects such as friendliness and livability. From a tourism perspective, Barcelona is the fourth city in Europe for international overnight stays, behind London, Paris, and Istanbul, according to the City Destinations Alliance’s Benchmarking Report 2021-2022. The Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat airport has regained its seventh position in Europe for passenger numbers (Airport Council Europe), and the Port leads as the top European base port for cruise passengers (MedCruise).
Regarding the cost of living, Barcelona remains internationally competitive and ranks 75th among the 227 cities worldwide with the highest cost of living, according to Mercer’s Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, placing 19th among eurozone cities.
Barcelona, in the Top 5 Worldwide for Congresses
The Observatory also indicates that Barcelona maintains a strong global position as a host city for international congresses. The city has reclaimed the top spot for the number of delegates at these events and remains fourth in the number of organized congresses, according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). Barcelona is the only city to consistently remain in the global ’Top 5’ for hosting international congresses and meetings over the past 21 years, a leadership position reinforced by being the permanent home of the Mobile World Congress and hosting other major events scheduled for 2024.
Record Employment for Women
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data, in 2022, the entrepreneurial activity rate (TEA) in the province of Barcelona stood at 7.3%, a tenth higher than the previous year. Looking at female TEA rates, Barcelona (6.8%) and Catalonia (6.5%) surpass those of Switzerland (6.3%), Austria (6.1%), and Spain as a whole (5.9%). The growth of female entrepreneurship in Barcelona has narrowed the gap between male and female rates to 1 point.
The female employment rate, which reached a historic high of 77.9% in the last quarter of 2023, exceeds the EU average. In fact, the city closed 2023 with the lowest unemployment rate (6.1%) since 2007.