Ibiza’s population grew by more than twice the rate of its housing stock between 2000 and 2025, according to new data from the Balearic Islands Housing Observatory, highlighting the scale of the island’s long-term housing imbalance.

The island’s population increased by 82.74% during the 25-year period, while the number of homes increased by 39.56%. The resulting 43.18 percentage-point gap between population and housing growth is the largest recorded among the Balearic Islands.

Formentera shows an even wider difference, with population growth of 85.42% compared with 31.06% growth in its housing stock.

New Housing Observatory Publishes the Data

The figures come from the newly launched Observatori de l’Habitatge de les Illes Balears, or OHIB, presented by the Balearic Government on September 17.

The observatory has begun publishing a series of indicators covering the housing market, population growth, housing supply, prices and public housing policies.

The data draws on information from several official bodies, including the Balearic Islands Statistics Institute, the regional tax authority and the Institute of Cartography and Geography.

Ibiza’s Population Grew 82.74%

According to the observatory, Ibiza experienced population growth of 82.74% between 2000 and 2025.

Over the same period, the island’s housing stock grew by 39.56%.

This means population growth was more than twice the rate at which the total number of homes increased.

The difference between the two growth rates is 43.18 percentage points. This is the figure described by the observatory as the housing deficit associated with population growth.

It is important to clarify that this does not mean 43.18% of Ibiza’s existing homes are missing. It measures the historical gap between population growth and the growth of the housing stock.

Formentera Has an Even Wider Gap

The situation is even more pronounced in Formentera.

The island’s population increased by 85.42% between 2000 and 2025, while its housing stock grew by 31.06%.

That produces a difference of 54.34 percentage points between population growth and housing growth.

Both Ibiza and Formentera therefore recorded considerably larger gaps than Mallorca and Menorca during the same period.

Ibiza Had 75,519 Homes in 2025

The observatory records 75,519 homes on Ibiza in 2025.

Formentera had 5,089.

Across the Balearic Islands, the total housing stock stood at 618,908 homes, including 479,516 in Mallorca and 58,784 in Menorca.

Apartments make up the majority of the housing stock across the archipelago, representing 66% of all homes.

The average size of a multi-family apartment is 128 square metres, compared with 263 square metres for detached or single-family homes.

The Balearic Islands Are Also Facing a Housing Gap

The figures are not limited to Ibiza.

Across the Balearic Islands, the population increased by 46.3% between 2000 and 2025, while the number of homes increased by 31.5%.

The observatory estimates that this difference corresponds to approximately 17,000 homes associated with the population growth recorded over the period.

However, the Balearic Government has specifically warned that the 17,000 figure should not automatically be interpreted as the number of homes currently required by households.

Why the 17,000 Figure Needs Context

The director general of Housing and Architecture, José Francisco Reynés, stressed that the estimate is based on the difference between population growth and the increase in the housing stock.

Actual housing demand is influenced by additional factors, including the average number of people living in each home.

The estimate therefore provides an indication of the long-term imbalance between demographic growth and housing construction, rather than a precise count of homes that could immediately eliminate the housing problem.

Ibiza and Formentera Stand Out

The difference between the islands is particularly notable.

Mallorca recorded a gap of approximately 11.45 percentage points between population and housing growth, while Menorca recorded a gap of around 8.39 points.

Ibiza’s 43.18-point difference and Formentera’s 54.34-point difference are therefore substantially higher.

The figures provide a long-term statistical explanation for why housing supply has become such a prominent issue in the Pitiusas, although they do not by themselves identify the individual causes of the current housing shortage.

Housing Prices Add Another Layer

The new observatory also includes data on the difference between advertised property prices and the prices recorded in completed transactions.

Across the Balearic Islands, asking prices were around 38% higher than actual transaction prices in the latest data.

On Ibiza, the difference was approximately 31.6%, while Formentera recorded a gap of around 49.3%.

The Government has urged caution when interpreting asking-price data because property portals reflect advertised prices rather than the final amounts paid in completed sales.

A Long-Term Housing Challenge

The new figures place Ibiza’s housing situation in a wider demographic context.

Over 25 years, the island gained population at more than twice the rate at which its housing stock expanded.

That does not provide a simple calculation of how many homes Ibiza needs today, but it does demonstrate a substantial long-term divergence between demographic growth and the expansion of the residential housing stock.

Formentera's figures show an even wider divergence.

Public Housing Plans Continue

The publication of the new data comes as the Balearic Government continues to promote its housing programme, which currently includes more than 10,000 affordable homes at different stages of planning and development across the islands.

The Government says these homes are intended to increase the supply of affordable housing for residents.

On Ibiza, major projects such as the 532-home Ca n’Escandell development form part of the wider effort to increase public and affordable housing supply.

What the New Figures Tell Us

The OHIB data provides one of the clearest statistical pictures yet of how Ibiza’s population and housing stock have evolved over the past quarter-century.

The population grew by 82.74%, compared with 39.56% growth in the number of homes.

That gap does not mean that exactly 43% of Ibiza’s housing is missing, nor does it provide a precise measure of today's housing demand.

What it does show is that population growth has substantially outpaced the expansion of the island's housing stock over 25 years, placing Ibiza among the Balearic Islands with the largest measured demographic-housing imbalance.