FC Barcelona contributes 1,191 million euros to the wealth of the city in 2018/19

FC Barcelona created economic activity in the city of Barcelona which has translated into 1,191 million euros of the GDP of the city (1.46%), almost 19,500 jobs and tax revenue of some 366 million euros according to a report by the consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) presented today at the home of Foment de Treball on the economic impact of the Club during the 2018/19 season. According to the study the Club continues to be one of the most dynamic and multifaceted entities that makes a difference in various sectors of the economy such as tourism, hotel management, transport and the media and also contributes in an important way to the city of Barcelona.

The report also looks at the Barça’s economic impacto on Catalonia and Spain as a whole last season with the aim of quantifying, analyzing and evaluating the contribution of FC Barcelona and Barça Foundation in terms of economic activity, gross domestic product (GDP), jobs and tax revenue thanks to the wealth created between June 2018 and July 2019.

The presentation of the report took place during a breakfast at the headquarters of Foment del Treball and was led by Ignacio Marull, partner responsible for Catalonia at PwC. The Foment president, Josep Sánchez Llibre, welcomed those attending and FC Barcelona president Josep María Bartomeu summed up the report before taking questions from those present. Also present at the event were vicepresident and treasurer Quique Tombas and the directors Emili Rousaud, Dídac Lee, Pau Vilanova and Josep Pont as well as the executive director-CEO of FC Barcelona, Òscar Grau, and the director of the Presidential Area and Board of Directors, Jaume Masferrer.

The previous study to look at the economic impact of FC Barcelona on the city was carried out by the firm Deloitte and it looked at the season 2014/15 and the data showed the value of the Club’s impact at 906 million euros. The comparison between the figures from the 2014/15 season and those from 2018/19 show that the total impact on GDP in Barcelona, in absolute terms, has risen by 31% whilst the impact on jobs, also in absolute terms, has gone up by 17% (from 16,620 jobs to 19,451).

The methodology used by PwC to quantify the 2018/19 season includes both the direct impact (created directly by the Club and its Foundation in GDP by personal spending, margins and taxes,  income by business activity and jobs for both institutions), the indirect impact (spending on providers and investments made by the Club and its Foundation) and the collateral impact (fans on match day, income generated by media, income generated by individuals subscribed to pay TV platforms, eSports and sports betting). The impact calculated comes via an increase in spending in households due to an increase in income (wages and salaries) generated in any of the three ways detailed above.  

The impact on the city

With regards to the impact of Barça on the city of Barcelona, the Club contributed to the wealth of the city some 1,190 million euros of added value both directly and indirectly to the city during the 2018/19 season. That figure constitutes 1.46% of the city’s GDP during the same period. A significant part of the creation of value comes from the tourists that the Club attracts to the city, which translates into 1.43 million overnight stats for the city of Barcelona.

With regards to the impact on jobs, the Club contributed to the creation of almost 19,500 jobs in the city of Barcelona during the 2018/19 season, which supposes an equivalent contribution to 2.65% of all the employed people in the city. For each job created directly by the Club, 12 additional jobs were created for the city.

Thanks to this economic activity generated by the Club in Barcelona, the Club has contributed an increase in tax revenue via VAT, income tax, business tax and local taxes. In total, during the 2018/19 season the Club tax revenues for Barcelona via different public bodies of 366 million euros. This figure is the equivalent to 13.8% of the budget of Barcelona City Council and shows and 67% increase with regards to the 2014/15 season.

The impact in Catalonia

With regards to the impact of FC Barcelona and the Barça Foundation on economic activity in Catalonia, in terms of GDP, Barça contributes 1,394 million euros (and that is equivalent to 0.57% of the GDP of Catalonia) and helped to create 23,531 jobs, equivalent to 0.69% of all employment in Catalonia.

First sporting entity with Foment

Following the event, FC Barcelona officially joined forces with Foment Nacional de Treball in an act involving respective presidents, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Josep Sánchez Llibre. Foment is the oldest employers’ organisation in Europe and has more than 1,700 representatives in the Catalan business world and Barça becomes the first Catalan sporting entity to form part of the community which has as its objective ‘to lead and be a model for public opinion in favour of Catalonia’s progress as an the economic engine of South West Europe and the Mediterranean basin, in an environment of freedom, market economics and welfare society.”

Statement by Josep Maria Bartomeu, president FC Barcelona

“Barça today is the first sporting brand around the world. We are a profoundly local institution yet at the same time global that as you have seen, represents 1.5% of the GDP of the city of Barcelona and that contributes to the creation of almost 19,500 jobs in the area.”