GSMA MWC25 Barcelona contributed €561 million to the Barcelona economy

13 June 2025, London – MWC25 Barcelona contributed an estimated €561 million to the Barcelona economy, according to a newly released economic impact report commissioned by the GSMA. MWC25 created over 13,000 part-time jobs, marking another year of growth in local employment and reinforcing the event’s status as a major contributor to Catalonia’s economy. 

This is an increase to the economic impact of MWC24 which contributed €502 million. Since MWC first came to the city in 2006, it has generated a total economic contribution €6.9billion and 173,000 part-time jobs.  This year’s edition once again confirmed MWC’s position as the world’s leading connectivity event, attracting policymakers, industry leaders, investors, and innovators. Across four packed days in March, over 109,000 attendees from 205 countries and territories came together to shape the future of connectivity.

MWC Barcelona 2025 by the numbers:

• €561 million in economic impact generated; over 13,000 part-time jobs created
• 109,000 attendees from 205 countries and territories
• More than 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors, and partners
• Over 1,200 speakers and thought leaders, including 41% female speakers
• The GSMA Ministerial Programme convened 188 delegations from 148 countries and 40 intergovernmental organisations, 66 ministers, and 111 heads of regulatory authorities
• 4YFN welcomed over 1,000 startups exhibitors, nearly 380 speakers and over 900 investors with collective funds totaling €60 billion
• 56% of attendees representing industries adjacent to the core mobile ecosystem
• 21% C-suite attendees; 50% director level and above; 27% female attendees
• Over 2,900 journalists and industry analysts from around the world
• 182,450 media stories generated globally during the event

“MWC and Barcelona are perfect partners - united by innovation, collaboration, and shared ambition. The strength of our partnership with Barcelona continues to deliver mutual success, and we are proud to contribute to the city’s prosperity and opportunities. We thank the Host City Parties for their unwavering support, and we are so grateful to the people of Barcelona for sharing their extraordinary city with us," said GSMA Ltd.’s CEO, John Hoffman.  

A year-round legacy

Beyond the event’s annual week in Spring, the impact of MWC continues to deliver year-round and is helping to establish Barcelona as a global tech hub. Programmes enabled by the success of MWC have contributed to Barcelona’s evolution towards its position as one of Europe’s leading technology centres. 

These include Mobile World Capital and its recently launched event, Talent Arena, which is designed to shape the future of digital talent, as well as 4YFN which has empowered startups in the global mobile industry for over 10 years. 

The mSchools programme, a public-private partnership with the GSMA, Mobile World Capital, the Catalan Department of Education and the City Council of Barcelona, is a global community of teachers, researchers and policymakers committed to driving change in education. Since its establishment, 390,000 students, 14,000 teachers and 2,700 schools have taken part. 

The MWC Donation Room this year contributed 9.3 million tons of different materials such as carpet and wood, as well as 17 tons of furniture to cultural projects and social schemes in Barcelona. These items were repurposed from MWC25 to have a second life through their use by 23 community not-for-profit organisations and social entities in the cities of Barcelona and Hospitalet de Llobregat. The initiative is an integral part of the GSMA’s environmental programme and a collaboration between the City Council of Barcelona, the City Council of L’Hospitalet, Barcelona’s Fundació Formació i Treball, the GSMA, Fira de Barcelona, and Barcelona Tourism Consortium. 

Report methodology

The economic impact of MWC is calculated through a comprehensive model, validated by independent experts, that accounts for direct, indirect, and induced contributions. These include visitor spending, job creation, and increased government revenue. 

-ENDS-

About GSMA

The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events. We invite you to find out more at gsma.com.

Media Contacts

GSMA Press Office 
pressoffice@gsma.com