Calella
A municipality in the Maresme comarca, province of Barcelona
6th most populous of 30 municipalities in Maresme
With 20,775 residents, Calella sits in the larger half of the 30 municipalities in the Maresme comarca (province of Barcelona). Disposable household income is €17,163 per resident, 22% below the Maresme median — among the lowest in the comarca. The unemployment rate is 10.9%. The nearest train station is Calella, 0.2 km away (Rodalies / Renfe), with the fastest train to Barcelona taking 1h. 73.9% of Calella's residents said they could speak Catalan in the 2011 census, the last to ask at municipal level. Under the Generalitat's civil-protection plans, flood risk is very high.
How Calella compares in Maresme
Where the municipality sits among those of the Maresme comarca, indicator by indicator.
Worth knowing
- Income per resident17,163 €27th of 29
- Unemployment rate10.9%28th of 30
Around the middle
- Higher education31.7%25th of 30
- Train time to Barcelona~1h26th of 30
Neither better nor worse
- Foreign-born30.6%1st of 30
- Can speak Catalan73.9%28th of 30
On these indicators neither end is better — it depends what you are looking for. Shown highest to lowest.
Each position is computed only among the municipalities of the comarca that publish that indicator: Idescat suppresses figures for the smallest ones, so the total can be lower than the comarca's municipality count. No position is published for a cohort of fewer than 5.
All the data
Demographics
- Population
- 20,7752025
- Density
- 2,597 inh./km²2025
- Surface area
- 8 km²2025
- Altitude
- 5 m
- Population aged 65+
- 22%2025
- Foreigners
- 30.6%2025
- Annual Growth
- +2.8%2024
Economy
- Income (per person)
- 17,163 €2023 (p)
- Unemployment
- 10.9%2024
- Higher education
- 31.7%2024
Housing
- Rented dwellings
- 23.5%2021
Getting around
- Nearest train station
- Calella · 0.2 km · Rodalies / Renfe
- To Barcelona by train
- ~1h
Straight-line distance to the nearest station. Time is the fastest scheduled train (approximate, not a specific departure); it may require a change.
Natural risk
- Flood risk
- Very high2026
- Main flood sources
- Ravines and torrents
- Wildfire hazard
- Below the Catalan average2026
- Wildfires 2011-2024
- 16 fires started here · 3.3 ha burned
Official Generalitat classification: the INUNCAT (flood) and INFOCAT (wildfire) special plans, Departament d'Interior. The flood level is the maximum across every flood type affecting the municipality. Wildfire hazard is expressed relative to the Catalan average, not as an absolute probability. Fires (2011-2024, Departament d'Acció Climàtica) are attributed to the municipality where they started, so the burned area may extend into neighbouring municipalities.
Language
- Can speak Catalan
- 73.9%2011
Source: Idescat, 2011 census — the last one to carry this question at municipal level. Real, but old.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people live in Calella?
- Calella had 20,775 residents on the 2025 municipal register, making it the 6th most populous of the 30 municipalities in Maresme.
- How long does it take to get from Calella to Barcelona by train?
- Calella has its own railway station, and the fastest train reaches central Barcelona in ~1h (approximate schedule).
- What do people earn in Calella?
- Household disposable income per resident in Calella is 17,163 € a year (Idescat, 2023 (p)), 22% below the comarca median.
- Do people speak Catalan in Calella?
- 73.9% of residents in Calella reported being able to speak Catalan in the 2011 census, the last edition to carry the question at municipal level. It measures the ability to speak it, not everyday use.
- Is Calella at risk of flooding or wildfire?
- The civil-protection plans in force (2026) classify the flood risk in Calella as "Very high" and its wildfire hazard as "Below the Catalan average". Wildfire hazard is relative to the Catalan average, not a probability of burning.
- Do people rent or own in Calella?
- 23.5% of main dwellings in Calella are rented (2021).
Data from Idescat (EMEX). Per-indicator sources have different reference years; see each section's note.