Sharp Drop in Catalan Among Young Adults

The latest Municipal Services Survey by Barcelona City Council reveals that the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 who use Catalan as their usual language has fallen from 52% in 1994 to just 18% in 2023, a drop of more than 30 percentage points. Among those aged 35 to 44, habitual Catalan use has declined from a peak of 48% in 1997 to 19% today. Even among younger adults aged 18 to 24, the figure has dropped from 50% in 1993 to 36%. Overall, 33.6% of respondents now say Catalan is their preferred language, compared to 56% who usually communicate in Spanish, the largest gap since the survey began in 1989.

Language Use Varies by Age and District

Catalan remains the dominant usual language only among residents over 64, where usage stands at 48%, nearly equal to Spanish at 49%. By district, Nou Barris reports the lowest use of Catalan as a usual language (16%), while Gràcia (48%) and Sarrià-Sant Gervasi (48%) are the only districts where Catalan exceeds Spanish use. In Ciutat Vella, 26% of residents use a third language as their main tongue, surpassing both Catalan (20%) and Spanish (24%).

"Barcelona needs a strong boost in the social use of our language," stated the ERC municipal group, highlighting concern over the historic lows among youth.

Knowledge and Access Remain Uneven

While 91.4% of respondents understand Catalan, this is the lowest level recorded in the series. Speaking ability stands at 71%, writing at 57%, and 8.5% report no ability in any skill, up from previous years. In public settings, 16% of Catalan speakers say they cannot use the language in shops, and 18% report the same in bars and restaurants. Only 4% report difficulty using Spanish in such venues. At healthcare centres, 9% say they cannot communicate in Catalan when they wish, and 3% report barriers with municipal services.

"That one in five Catalan speakers cannot speak Catalan in their neighbourhood bar is a disgrace," said Junts mayoral candidate Jordi Martí.

Language use also correlates with voting patterns: 84% of Junts voters use Catalan as their usual language, compared to 7% of PP voters and 5% of Vox voters. Among Barcelona en Comú supporters, 47% use each language equally, and 4% use a third language primarily.

Primary sources: Barcelona City Council, bcnroc.ajuntament.barcelona.cat. Reported by elperiodico.com, El Periódico Barcelona.