Madrid distances itself from Catalonia in GDP per capita due to non-resident employment

Catalonia's GDP per capita has been lagging behind Madrid's for 25 years, dropping from 94% to 83%. The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce attributes this gap not to structural economic factors but to non-resident workers contributing to wealth generation. In 2021, 42,348 workers from Catalonia were employed in Madrid. The gap is expected to widen, with projections indicating a 2.8% growth for Catalonia by 2026. Inflation forecasts have also been revised upwards to 3.7% for 2026, influenced by energy price fluctuations due to geopolitical tensions.