Alt Pirineu and Aran face extreme depopulation
More than 250 settlements in the Alt Pirineu and Aran region have fewer than 30 residents, while 84 villages have already been completely abandoned, according to research published today by the project Pobles Abandonats. The data, gathered over seven years and covering nearly 1,500 settlements across Catalan-speaking territories, shows the region is the most affected by rural depopulation in Catalonia. The study combines fieldwork, archival research, interviews, and territorial data to map the ongoing decline. A total of 268 inhabited nuclei in Alt Pirineu and Aran now have fewer than 30 residents, placing them in a fragile state between survival and abandonment. The findings were presented at the International (De)Abandonment Congress, hosted by the Institut d’Estudis Catalans in Barcelona from 1 to 3 October 2026.
Pallars Jussà the hardest hit
The comarca of Pallars Jussà is the most severely affected, with 32 completely uninhabited settlements and 76 others with fewer than 30 residents. Tendrui Vell, a former village in the municipality of Tremp, stands as a symbol of irreversible decline. Once without running water, the settlement began losing residents in the 1960s. A landslide later caused structural collapse, accelerating its final abandonment. Today, it lies in ruins.
Signs of recovery in isolated cases
Despite the trend, some villages show signs of reversal. Mencui, in Pallars Sobirà, now has 11 residents after being left without permanent inhabitants in 1997. Access had long been limited, but less than a year ago, the village received its first paved road, improving connectivity. Similarly, Àrreu, also in Pallars Sobirà, was left without residents after the last family left in 1981. A forest track opened in 2018 now allows vehicle access, and one permanent resident, a carpenter, has returned.
The challenge is not just what to do with the 84 abandoned villages, but how to prevent the 268 with fewer than 30 residents from vanishing next.
The project Pobles Abandonats has compiled a database of nearly 1,500 settlements and over 23,000 documentary resources. Its aim is not only to document loss but also to identify conditions that could prevent further abandonment. A recent exhibition by the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs uses this knowledge to help plan future territorial policies. The research highlights that depopulation is not uniform: 68% of included settlements remain alive with fewer than 30 people, 20% are abandoned, and 12% are in recovery or used seasonally.
Congress debates Europe’s rural future
The International (De)Abandonment Congress, running from 1 to 3 October, brings together researchers and policymakers to examine depopulation from territorial, social, and heritage perspectives. Organised by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the Institut Ramon Muntaner (IRMU), the Coordinadora de Centres d’Estudis de Parla Catalana (CCEPC), and hosted by the Institut d’Estudis Catalans, the event focuses on strategies to sustain rural communities and preserve cultural memory. The full programme is available via the Barcelona City Council’s events guide.
Reported by iei.cat, lavanguardia.com, Viure als Pirineus, ens.cat, Parlament de Catalunya, sapiens.cat, Departament d'Edicions del Parlament de Catalunya, parlament.cat, ac15, irmu.org, publicacions.iec.cat, La Valira.
