Born in La Roca del Vallès (Barcelona) on 5 May 1966.

He was mayor of his home town (1995-2005), general director of Infrastructure Management of the Department of Justice of the Generalitat (2005-2009) and director of Economic Management of Barcelona City Council (2010-2011). Between January 2020 and January 2021, Salvador Illa was Minister of Health of the Government of Spain. Later, he was president of the Parliamentary Group Socialists and United for Progress and Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Catalonia.