Because of its privileged location by the shore of the Mediterranean in the north-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, Barcelona enjoys a warm pleasant climate all year round. Standing less than 150 kilometres from the Pyrenees mountains, and bordered by the Collserola mountains to the north, the river Besòs to the east and the river Llobregat to the west, Barcelona possesses four kilometres of beach stretching from the Barceloneta neighbourhood to the river Besòs.

The city has a population of over 1,500,000 inhabitants, which entails a density of some 15,000 persons per square kilometre. Life expectancy has been increasing recently, rising to an average of over 78 years (74.5 for men and 82 for women). This has meant an increase in the average age of the city’s inhabitants (43 years) and has led to the fact that a significant part of its population is formed by elderly persons (22%, compared to 11.6% for children).

If Barcelona’s socio-economic data and energy consumption figures are considered in relation to its territorial context, it may be seen that it possesses 25% of Catalonia’s overall population, with a 33% share of the autonomous region’s GDP and a 9.7% share of its energy consumption.

With respect to Spain at large, Barcelona registers 3.75% of the overall population, 7% of the GDP and 1.86% of the energy consumption. These data show that Barcelona has an economic system that is in an advanced stage of tertiarisation (high GDP and low energy consumption), with an energy system marked by a good level of efficiency and a set of favourable conditions.

The progressive rise of the city’s standard of living has also led to a quite substantial vehicle population (more than 400 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants).