Young people from Ibiza who leave the island to study are increasingly worried about whether they will be able to return and build a future there, according to the Asociación Jóvenes de Ibiza.

The group says housing costs are one of the main barriers facing young people who want to come back after completing their studies, alongside limited educational opportunities, employment and mobility.

The association currently has around 80 members, many of whom are studying outside Ibiza or have recently entered the labour market.

An Association Founded in 2025

The Asociación Jóvenes de Ibiza emerged in April 2025 after a group of young people from Sant Rafel created an Instagram account to highlight issues affecting younger residents.

The group later held an open meeting that attracted other young people with similar concerns.

The association describes itself as non-partisan and says its main objective is to give young people in Ibiza a voice and defend their interests.

Most of its members are between 16 and 30 years old.

Many Members Study Outside Ibiza

A significant proportion of the association's members are studying outside the island, including in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia.

According to vice-president Víctor Torres, 18, the limited range of higher-education and vocational options available in Ibiza means that some young people have little choice but to leave if they want to pursue particular studies.

He also points to the financial burden placed on families when children have to move away from home to study.

The cost can become particularly significant when more than one child in a family needs to live away from Ibiza.

Returning Home Can Become a Second Challenge

Torres says the difficulty does not necessarily end when studies are completed.

For young people who have spent several years outside Ibiza, returning to the island can mean facing the local housing market at the same time as trying to establish a career.

He says many members of the association are already questioning whether they will be able to return after graduating.

The concern is particularly focused on the cost of renting or buying a home and the possibility of establishing an independent household.

Housing Is at the Centre of the Concern

The association's comments come against a difficult housing backdrop in the Balearic Islands.

The latest youth-emancipation figures available when the interview was conducted, covering the second half of 2024, put the average monthly rent at €1,408.

That represented 111.9% of the average net salary of a young person in the Balearics, according to the data cited by the association.

In other words, the average rent was higher than the average net monthly income used in the study.

The figure is a regional Balearic Islands statistic rather than a specific average rent for Ibiza.

Buying a Home Is Also Difficult

The same study found that buying a home presented another major financial barrier.

A young person in the Balearics needed approximately 7.1 years of full salary to accumulate the money required for a property deposit, according to the second-half 2024 data.

For those who could reach the purchase stage, the estimated monthly mortgage payment represented 111% of the average net salary of a young person.

These figures concern the Balearic Islands as a whole and should not be interpreted as the exact financial requirement for every young person or every property in Ibiza.

Low Youth Emancipation Rate

The housing figures are reflected in the wider emancipation data.

The youth emancipation rate in the Balearic Islands stood at 16.2% in the second half of 2024.

Among employed young people, only 10.9% were living outside the family home.

The figures indicate that employment alone did not necessarily translate into the ability to establish an independent household for younger residents.

Studying Away Comes With an Additional Cost

For families in Ibiza, sending a child to study on the mainland can involve tuition, rent, transport and everyday living expenses.

Torres says many of the association's members come from working families and that the financial commitment required to support children living away from the island can be substantial.

The issue is therefore not simply about the availability of university places. For some families, the cost of leaving Ibiza to study is itself a significant consideration.

Limited Local Education Options

The association also says Ibiza has relatively limited options for higher education and vocational training compared with larger mainland cities.

Torres specifically points to what he describes as a small supply of Formación Profesional and an even more limited range of university studies on the island.

These comments represent the association's assessment of the local education offer.

Young people who want to pursue subjects not available locally may consequently have to consider moving away for their studies.

Work and the Return to Ibiza

Education is only one part of the association's concerns.

Its members also identify employment and access to qualified work as important considerations when deciding whether to return.

A young person may spend several years building qualifications or professional experience elsewhere before facing the question of whether those skills can be applied in Ibiza.

For the association, the ability to return therefore depends not only on finding employment but also on being able to afford housing.

Concerns About the Island's Tourism Model

The group has also become involved in the wider debate about tourism and the future development of Ibiza.

Members participated in the September 20 demonstration opposing the planned airport intervention and have argued that the island should not continue increasing its tourist numbers indefinitely.

Torres says the association recognises that tourism is central to Ibiza's economy, but argues that the island's limited territory, water resources and public services should also be considered.

These are positions expressed by the association and form part of the group's wider public campaign.

A Broader List of Youth Concerns

The association says its concerns extend beyond housing.

Members have highlighted mobility, employment, education, public services, culture and the possibility of establishing a long-term life on the island.

The group says these issues are interconnected.

For a young person who leaves Ibiza to study, for example, the decision to return can involve finding suitable work, securing affordable accommodation and deciding whether the island offers sufficient opportunities for the kind of life they want to build.

A Growing Public Debate

The association's comments come as housing has become an increasingly prominent issue in political and social discussions across the Balearic Islands.

Local institutions are developing and proposing different housing measures, while young people's organisations continue to highlight the difficulties involved in moving out of the family home.

The data cited in the interview provide a regional picture, while the association's members describe their own experiences of leaving Ibiza to study and then considering whether they can afford to return.

The Question of Staying or Coming Back

For Jóvenes de Ibiza, the issue goes beyond young people who are already struggling to move out of their parents' homes.

It also concerns those who leave the island temporarily for education and want to return later.

Torres says that after years of studying elsewhere, young people can face a difficult calculation: whether the professional and personal opportunities available in Ibiza are enough to justify returning when housing costs are so high.

Ibiza's Next Generation

The Asociación Jóvenes de Ibiza is still a relatively new organisation, but it has quickly become involved in public discussions about the future of the island.

With around 80 members, many of them students or people at the beginning of their working lives, the association says its priority is to ensure that younger residents can build a future in Ibiza.

For those who leave the island to study, the question is increasingly not simply when they can come home, but whether they will be able to afford to do so.

The housing figures covering the second half of 2024 provide one measure of the challenge, while the experiences described by the young people themselves show why returning to Ibiza has become a central concern for the group.