Spain
Barcelona
UMR Index Rank
#27
(-2)
Score: 58%
Sustainable Mobility
#12
(+9)
Score: 62.2%
Public Transit
#23
(=)
Score: 57.0%
Technology Adoption
#37
Score: 40.5%
| Population | 5.5 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 1,072 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 5,144 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 36,408 |
UMR Index Rank
#27
(-2)
Score: 58%
Sustainable Mobility
#12
(+9)
Score: 62.2%
Public Transit
#23
(=)
Score: 57.0%
Technology Adoption
#37
Score: 40.5%
What Barcelona Does Well In Urban Mobility
Barcelona has good infrastructure for pedestrians, which was enhanced in 2019 by the introduction of car-free zones. The city has been scaling up since then with the implementation of pedestrian-friendly superblocks, dedicated areas for pedestrians with play areas for children and green spaces created with the input of residents. Initiatives like these have made the Catalonian capital one of the most-walked cities in Europe.
Thanks to investments in road infrastructure, Barcelona boasts a world-class roadway system focused on safety, quality, and connectivity. It also has a well-developed traffic management system that includes coordinated traffic lights at major arteries and a traffic and incident management center. It has multi-use lanes with changeable message signs that clarify who may use a lane during a specific time of day.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility, Public Transit, and Technology Adoption scores
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
Challenges And Opportunities For Barcelona’s Transportation System
Despite well-utilized and affordable public transportation, passengers in Barcelona often struggle with long commutes. A low density of public transit stations leaves some residents facing long distances to their nearest station. The city is building new metro stations that will improve network density. Metro expansion is part of Barcelona’s vision to have 65% of motorized trips made via public transportation by 2025, compared to 44% in 2023. The 2024 Catalonian budget provided funds to buy 39 additional metro trains, representing a growth of nearly 20%, which can increase the frequency of service and reduce commute times.
Similar to Madrid, Barcelona does not have many top universities and labs working on mobility. It is also home to few mobility companies, contributing to a more muted mobility innovation ecosystem. However, initiatives such as the EU-funded European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Urban Mobility, headquartered in Barcelona, should not be ignored. EIT Urban Mobility performs research and provides funding dedicated to decarbonizing urban mobility.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
How Barcelona Can Improve Its Urban Mobility Performance
Despite strong national electric vehicle (EV) incentives and improvements in year-on-year EV market share in sales, Barcelona still lags behind its regional peers Lisbon and Paris. To further encourage EV adoption, Barcelona can expand on state-offered tax reductions. As of 2024, EVs received a 75% road tax reduction. Furthermore, expanding the existing low-emission zone can help incentivize adoption. As of 2024 the zone applies only between 7 AM and 8 PM, Mondays to Fridays.
Many of Barcelona’s residents complain about noise pollution. In 2022 the city introduced measures to reduce noise levels. This includes noise-impact awareness campaigns, reductions in speed limits from 50 kilometers per hour to 30 kilometers per hour, using noise-reducing surfaces on roads, and building noise screens. Barcelona can accelerate the deployment of these measures to reduce noise pollution sooner rather than later.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index relative ranking evolution (2020-2024)
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley