Why More and More People Born in the Balearic Islands Are Moving Abroad

Why more and more people born in the Balearic Islands are moving abroad

Key question: What does it tell us when almost 13,000 people born on these islands live elsewhere?

The Spanish statistics office provides numbers: around 12,700 people born in the Balearic Islands currently live abroad; nearly 430 were added last year. Palma itself had about 443,200 inhabitants in 2025 — up roughly five percent compared with 2022, and this increase is examined in Population boom in the Balearic Islands: What does it mean for Mallorca?. Over the past three years the city has lost more than 4,000 people born in Spain, while almost 20,000 people from South America arrived. These raw data raise more questions than they answer, as a local look at the August 2025 numbers shows in Have the Balearic Islands really become less crowded? A look at the August 2025 numbers.

Critical analysis

The bare numbers reveal an interplay of departures and arrivals: place of birth alone says nothing about belonging or prospects. Many people born in the Balearics leave to study, for international jobs, or because they want a standard of living that is often unaffordable here. Palma continues to grow — but its composition is changing: more newcomers from outside Spain, and an outflow of Spaniards and those born here. That can work; but it can also create social tensions when schools, housing and jobs shift rapidly.

Economically the islands are heavily shaped by tourism. Many jobs are seasonal and low-paid. Those seeking a solid career — in research, digital professions or industrial training — look to the mainland or abroad. At the same time, rising property prices push young families out of the city. The fact that countries like France and the United Kingdom are named as destinations fits this picture: linguistic proximity, university places and existing networks.

What is missing from the public debate

In public the pure growth narrative is often celebrated — more inhabitants equals success. Missing is the view of where newcomers come from and the reasons people leave. There is a lack of data on returnees, on the professional backgrounds of those who left, and on the long-term consequences for schools, healthcare and local economic sectors. The role of seasonal work, short-term rental contracts and pressure on housing is too rarely considered together, and concerns about demographic trends are explored in Birth Crisis in the Balearic Islands: What Does the Decline Mean for Mallorca?.

Everyday scene from Palma

Early in the morning at the Mercado de l'Olivar it smells of fresh coffee, delivery vans honk, and street sweepers work against the fine dust on the Paseo Marítimo. On the Plaça Major an elderly couple from Son Ferriol watches a group of young people with backpacks hurrying to the bus stop toward the airport. Some board planes to London or Paris, others take buses to the mainland. These scenes show: the island is a hub, not just a home port.

Concrete solutions

If the goal is for more locally born people to stay or return, several levers must be turned at once. First: affordable housing — not one-off measures, but binding quotas for permanent housing in new developments and the reuse of vacant properties. Second: career prospects — promote training places in technology and health-related fields, and strengthen cooperation with universities on the mainland and in Europe. Third: year-round economy instead of seasonal economy — incentives for businesses to offer employment throughout the year. Fourth: return incentives — scholarships, start-up advisory services and tax incentives for returnees and young families. Fifth: better data collection — regular surveys on motivations for leaving and returning, so policy can be targeted.

What needs to be done now

Many of these measures cost money and need political backing. But they are not a wish list; they are infrastructure work: kindergartens, transport connections to villages, digital networks in smaller places — these are the conditions that make young families less likely to move away after their first job offer. Authorities and businesses need to cooperate more deliberately; the island government should not treat the issue abstractly but work with clear metrics, echoing proposals on sustainable growth and pressure relief in How many residents can Mallorca sustain? Growth, pressure and ways out of overcrowding.

Conclusion: the figures on residents living abroad and the population shifts in Palma are more than statistics. They point to structural problems: housing, work, and the seasonal economy. Those who only applaud growth overlook risks. Those who tackle the problem honestly can turn mobility into an opportunity — with concrete programs that offer prospects to those born here, without losing openness to newcomers.

A final thought: it is not about keeping people as keepsakes in a display case. Mobility is a reality. The task is to shape the island so that departure and return are equally possible and attractive.