Barcelona leads the way for Spanish exports in 2010

Its figures represent 20.5% of the total and demonstrate Barcelona's power as a driving force of the economy.

Barcelona heads the Spanish exports ranking. According to the latest report from the Barcelona City Council's Commission for Economic Promotion, Employment and Knowledge, 20.5% of the Spanish state's exports over the course of 2010 came from the province of Barcelona. The report also states that a 16.9% increase in exports during the first eleven months of the year, which represented 34,927.25 million euros worth of revenue, helped the Catalan economy grow by 4.3%.

Specifically, the increase in exports is believed to have been driven by a rise in sales to emerging economies such as South Africa (+68.4%), Brazil (+49%) and China (+32.6%). Furthermore, the technology sector accounted for some 59% of these exports.

Leaders in entrepreneurship

The City Council report also reflects the strength of entrepreneurial activity in Barcelona, which established itself over 2010 as the Spanish urban area with the highest number of start-ups, with a ratio of 3.2 new companies per 1000 residents. During the first eleven months of the year, 14% of the new businesses set up in Spain were established in the province of Barcelona.

Source: Barcelona city council.