The good performance and resilience of Catalan exports underpin GDP growth in 2023, which, according to data released by the Statistical Institute of Catalonia, accelerated to 2.8% year-on-year in the fourth quarter, in a context of weak world trade and a slowdown in the main European economies.

Total exports of goods grew by 8.5% year-on-year up to November, while in neighbouring territories (such as Germany and the eurozone) they are in decline. Exports of industrial goods with a higher technological content are particularly noteworthy, with strong growth of 10.5% in the branches with a high content and 18.3% in those with a medium-high content. In fact, record figures were reached for pharmaceuticals and chemicals, electrical equipment, machinery and vehicles.

These are some of the main conclusions of the note drawn up by the Catalan Government to analyse recent developments in the Catalan economy.

This favourable performance of the foreign sector is part of an improvement in the positioning of the sector between 2019 and 2023, which is reflected in gains in Catalonia’s market share in most of its main markets (such as Germany, France and the USA). This is explained by the fact that Catalan exports have increased by an annual average of 9.3% and imports from all over the world by only 6.6%.

Foreign tourism accelerates and exceeds pre-pandemic figures in the fourth quarter in terms of the number of overnight stays (3.9% higher than those recorded in the fourth quarter of 2019). However, with respect to 2019, it also highlights the increase in the weight of tourism from Catalonia and the rest of Spain, a restructuring of tourism demand that may lend the sector greater resilience.