INTERES Invest in Spain

GDP growth in Catalonia is outpacing the European average, and the region is spearheading one of the most important sustained economic growth cycles of the Mediterranean Arc that runs from northern Italy through southern France to eastern Spain.

In Catalonia, the year 2004 saw the net creation of 23,300 companies, 28% more than the previous year, the highest figure of the last decade and above all other Spanish Autonomous Communities.

Catalonia is the ideal platform for entering Europe, as well as for the markets of north Africa and the Middle East. The euro zone is a market of 309 million consumers with GDP of 1,928,528 million euros; all in less than 2 hours flying time from Barcelona. The Catalan economy is well internationalised: one fifth of the industrial companies are regular exporters and Catalonia concentrates 36% of Spanish exporting companies. Access to global markets from Catalonia is assured by, amongst other factors, its extensive and high-quality transport infrastructure.