Sant Boi’s roots must be found in the 4th century B.C., although it was not until the 10th century when the urban foundations of a real permanent settlement were set up. In this sense, the first Sant Baldiri church documented reference is from 966, which would be as a last resort the town’s name origin.
During the first years of the 20th century, Sant Boi had over 5,000 inhabitants: it was the most populated town in the county, being its population mostly devoted to agriculture. Before the Civil War (1936), the town already had 10,000 inhabitants, but it was not until the 1960’s and the 1970’s when large migratory movements took place, appealed by the raise of industries which would definitely and wholly transform our city. In 1955, its population was about 13,000 inhabitants, a number that would be multiplied by 5 in 20 years.
Placed in Barcelona metropolitan region, at 6 km from the airport, at 9 km from the port and at 15 km from Barcelona, Sant Boi is one of the main towns of Baix Llobregat county.
It occupies an area of 22 km2. The city spreads itself on 38% of Sant Boi’s municipal district. The agricultural area represents 35%, being the Baix Llobregat Agrarian Park most extensive crops group. Sant Boi also has got a special richness of preserved natural areas: it enjoys a 21% of forest area, river bank and wetlands.
Sant Boi exceeds 30,000 households that occupy 17% of urban soil. Most of them were built between 1961 and 1980, just during the largest migratory growth.
Sant Boi present population reaches 81,269 inhabitants located in 6 districts.
Regarding that immigrant population coming directly from abroad, its percentage has risen from 1% to 8.2%. The largest community is that one from South America (3.2%), particularly from Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, and that other one from Morocco (2.8%).
Sant Boi has actually got a quite a lot young population ( 35% of it younger than 30 years, whereas people older than 65 represents 14.6%). Old people growing trend will continue the following years: it is foreseen that 16,584 people older than 59 years in 2007, will become about 18,000 in 2011.
In Sant Boi there are approximately 4,585 people recognised as handicapped, which represent 5.68% of the total amount of population, number slightly underneath the Catalan average (4.60%).
Official education offer comprehends all the obligatory education levels and all non-obligatory non-university education programmes.
Close to 70% of population lives less than 500 metres from a minimum of six community/cultural/sport centres and basic urban services (health, shopping, public transport, education centres, etc.).
It must be underlined that Sant Boi enjoys a wide social and cultural centres net: the district community centres as proximity centres, and three global or municipal centres.
Sant Boi turns out to be a clear reference within the county regarding health services: it counts with 4 primary assistance centres and a county hospital. At present, the new general and maternal child hospital is under construction. On the other hand, Sant Boi is well-known everywhere thanks to the modern mental health services of Sant Joan de Déu and Benito Menni Assistance Complex.
61.1% of employed population works at the services sector, 28.7% at the industry sector, 10% at the building industry sector and 0.2% at the primary sector.
74% of population in work age either works or looks for a job. Even though genre differences have been decreasing for the last years, they are still relevant: whereas the male activity rate is 84.1%, the female one is 64.6%.
The registered unemployment rate is about 7%. Other indicators would rise this number until almost 11%, being 14.8% for women and approximately half for men (7.8%).
More than half of Sant Boi inhabitants commute out of the city for work or study. Most of them use a private vehicle (43.6%). Generalitat’s Railway and buses are the main public transports.
Citizenship participation at the local management, either at districts councils or thematic-sectorial councils, is active enough. The total amount of sectorial councils meetings during the last five years is 53 (the prior number was 42).
The municipal budget turns around 100 million euros.
Approximately 650 people work at Sant Boi council.
The organisation chart is composed by 25 town councillors. As a result of the last local election, the town councillors are divided up like this: 13 PSC (Catalonia Socialists Party), 3 ICV-EuiA (Initiative for Catalonia- Alternative and United Left-wing), 3 PP (Popular Party), 3 CiU (Convergence and Union), 2 ERC (Catalonia Republican Party) and 1 C’s (Citizens for Change).
The organisation chart is organised in 4 large management areas, it fits indeed the technique structure organisation: Governance and Citizenship Area, Territory and Citizenship Area, Welfare and Citizenship Area and General Services Area.