Barcelona is continuing to strengthen its international standing as one of Europe’s top start-up ecosystems. According to the global ranking drawn up by international consultancy firm StartupBlink, Barcelona is the fifth-ranked start-up hub in the European Union for the third year in a row in 2026, only behind Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and Amsterdam.
Globally, Barcelona ranks 32nd in the world, moving up one place from last year thanks to a 5.5% increase in its score. The report also ranks Barcelona the leading entrepreneurial ecosystem in Spain, one of only a few cases where the leading city is not the country’s capital.
The study, based on an analysis of more than 1,500 cities in one hundred countries, assesses aspects such as the quantity and quality of start-ups, business climate, the presence of accelerators and co-working spaces, the ability to attract investment and talent, and the number of unicorns and business exits (sales of start-ups by founders).
A solid, growing ecosystem
According to figures from ACCIÓ, the Government of Catalonia’s business competitiveness agency, Catalonia currently has 2,403 start-ups, the highest figure on record and 5% more than the previous year. The number of start-ups has more than doubled since 2016.
This ecosystem generates an aggregate turnover of close to 3 billion euros, 26% more than a year ago, and it employs more than 30,500 people, a 34% increase.
The StartupBlink report highlights the role of ACCIÓ in supporting early-stage start-ups through programmes focused on acceleration, internationalisation and access to funding.
It also highlights the role of Barcelona Activa, City Council’s economic development agency, as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and talent in the city. The report notes that more than 40% of start-ups in Barcelona have used its services, incubators or support programmes.
Talent, innovation and international outreach
Barcelona’s emergence as a European entrepreneurship hub is due to a combination of various factors: a high concentration of international talent, an extensive university and science network, the presence of tech centres and major international congresses and the city’s high quality of life and ability to attract international professionals.
Barcelona’s entrepreneurial ecosystem stands out in areas such as healthtech, deep tech, artificial intelligence, mobility, video games and the creative industries, sectors that contribute to boosting the city’s competitiveness and international outreach.
The report also underscores the dynamism of the Catalan ecosystem as a whole. Catalonia is home to 7 of the 37 cities analysed in Spain and is the only region where all the ecosystems studied have grown in the past year. In addition to Barcelona, StartupBlink ranks Girona, Lleida, Tarragona, Reus, Manresa and Granollers among the top 700 entrepreneurial ecosystems in the world.
