The Catalan economy has recorded a year-on-year growth of 2.9% in the third quarter of 2026, according to preliminary estimates from the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat). This figure is two-tenths higher than the growth rate of the Spanish economy during the same period, which stands at 2.7%. In comparison, the European Union experienced a growth rate of 1.5% in the third quarter.
On a quarterly basis, Catalonia's growth rate is 0.7%, which is one-tenth higher than Spain's 0.6% and two-tenths above the EU's 0.5%. This year-on-year growth of 2.9% is slightly below the 3.0% recorded in the second quarter of 2026.
The growth in Catalonia's GDP is primarily driven by the construction sector, which grew by 4.3%, and the services sector, which saw an increase of 3.5%. The industrial sector grew by 1.1%, while agriculture recorded a modest growth of 0.1%.
Within the services sector, the annual growth rate remains at 3.5%, the same as the previous quarter. Key contributors to this growth include hospitality and restaurant services, wholesale trade, storage, and programming and consulting activities.
In the industrial sector, the year-on-year growth rate of 1.1% is one-tenth lower than the previous quarter's 1.2%. The main drivers of industrial growth include machinery repair and installation, waste management, textile manufacturing, and the production of computer products.
Construction activity continues to show strong performance with a growth rate of 4.3%, although this is a decline of 1.1 percentage points from the previous quarter's 5.4%. Finally, the agricultural sector has reported a year-on-year growth of 0.1%, which is nine-tenths lower than the last quarter's growth of 1.0%.
