Catalan and Spanish are the two official languages of both the city and the region.

Economy:
The Barcelona province is one of Spain's major economic centres responsible for 28 per cent of the country's total exports. Furthermore, according to the local economic development agency, Barcelona Business, the region is home to approximately 2,700 foreign companies and attracted more than half of all foreign investment in Spain between January and June 2002.

In recent decades, the city's economy has undergone a process of restructuring and diversification, as industrial production has relocated to the outskirts of the city and the service sector has expanded. However, Barcelona has maintained its position as the principal industrial area in Spain. Major industries include automotives, chemicals and consumer electronics, machinery, metal products, pharmaceuticals and transport materials.

Local Infrastructure:
Barcelona has excellent road, rail, air and sea connections with the rest of Europe. Barcelona Airport, located just 12 kilometres from the centre of the city, is used by more than 16 million passengers a year and caters for in the region of 2,000 flights a week to and from 120 destinations worldwide. In addition, the airport handles about 80,000 tons of freight a year. The port of Barcelona is the largest port in the Mediterranean for container traffic, handling just under 35 million tonnes of traffic in 2003, and has regular connections to well over 400 ports located all over the world.

Local Workforce:
With 5 public universities, 3 private universities, 24 international schools and a wealth of internationally prestigious business schools, the city has a constant supply of skilled and educated workers.

Standard of Living:
Barcelona is blessed with a warm climate, beautiful beaches, rich architecture and is a major cultural centre packed with dozens of theatres, museums and music venues. The city also plays host to a vast array of social and sporting events throughout the year, such as the Conde de Godó Tennis Trophy and the Spanish Formula I and Motorcycling Grand Prix.

In the 2003 Quality of Life Survey, produced by consultants William M. Mercer, Barcelona is placed 50th out of over 200 cities from around the world on the basis of a number of political, social, economic and environmental factors. In addition, the European Cities Monitor report for 2003, by Cushman & Wakefield -Healey & Baker, which questions executives from around 500 of Europe's top companies, ranks Barcelona 1st for quality of life, above cities such as Paris, Geneva, Madrid, Munich, Zurich and London.

Business Costs:
In a report published in 2002 by one of real estate advisory company, DTZ, total office occupancy costs in Barcelona were calculated to be 27.20 USD per square foot per annum, compared to figures of 39.60 USD for Madrid and 71.90 USD for Paris. In addition to rent, the report included factors such as maintenance costs and property taxes.