Catalonia's Tumultuous Referendum
Catalonia's Tumultuous Referendum

By Niall McCarthy (Statista)

Following a contentious referendum marred by violence, Catalan officials have said that 90 percent of those who voted favor independence from Spain.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has said that the region has won the right to statehood and that the door has been opened to a unilateral declaration of independence. Spain has bitterly opposed the vote and the country's constitutional court banned it.

Hundreds of people were injured as police officers attempted to block voting, confiscating ballot papers and boxes in the process. The following infographic shows the extent of the violence with 844 injuries recorded by different health departments in the region. 33 police officers were also injured during the unrest.

While Mr Puigdemont said that citizens of Catalonia had won the right to an independent state during a televised address, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Catalans had been fooled into taking part in an illegal vote. Independence supporters and anti-independence protestors have held rallies in Barcelona and other cities while 40 trade unions and Catalan associations are called for a region-wide strike due to "violations of rights and freedoms".

Catalonia Closer to the Eurozone Than to Spain

Apart from the Baleares and the Madrid region itself, Catalonia together with its capital Barcelona is one of the economically more powerful parts of Spain. The following infographic shows that the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of Catalonia lies closer to that of the Eurozone than of Spain as a whole.

This in mind, it comes as no surprise that Madrid is by all means opposed to letting go of Catalonia. Once before, in October 1934, shortly before the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939) broke out, Catalonia had announced its independence from the rest of Spain. This prompted Madrid to sent the army to Barcelona.

Catalonia's Tumultuous Referendum
Catalonia Closer to the Eurozone Than to Spain

Europe: "Catalonia's Tumultuous Referendum"