The PSOE has challenged the Balearic Government's assessment of tourism containment in Ibiza, arguing that the island's human pressure increased overall in 2025 despite the Govern's claims that its measures were helping to reduce saturation.

The issue was raised in the Balearic Parliament by Ibiza socialist deputy Àlex Pitaluga, who questioned the way the latest figures on the Índice de Presión Humana (IPH) are being interpreted.

Annual Human Pressure Increased in 2025

According to the latest IBESTAT-based figures cited in the debate, Ibiza had an average human pressure of 226,369 people in 2025, compared with 224,917 in 2024.

That represents an increase of approximately 0.65 percent.

The maximum daily figure also rose slightly, from 332,633 people in 2024 to 333,667 in 2025, an increase of around 0.3 percent. The 2025 maximum was still below Ibiza's historical peak, which was recorded in 2017 at 336,903 people.

What the IPH Actually Measures

The Índice de Presión Humana is not a count of tourists.

IBESTAT defines the indicator as an estimate of the population actually present on each island on a given day, combining resident and non-resident population. It is therefore intended to measure demographic pressure on the territory rather than simply the number of visitors.

That distinction is important in the current political debate because changes in the IPH cannot automatically be attributed entirely to changes in tourist numbers.

PSOE Questions the August Figures

Pitaluga has also challenged the figures used to describe the fall in pressure during August 2025.

According to the PSOE, an initially reported reduction of around 19,800 people was subsequently revised down to just over 2,400 people when the figures were updated.

The socialist deputy argues that the smaller reduction should not automatically be interpreted as proof that tourism pressure was reduced, particularly because the IPH includes both residents and visitors. These are political arguments made by the PSOE and are not, by themselves, an independent assessment of the revised data.

The Govern Uses a Different August Measurement

Tourism Minister Jaume Bauzà has defended the Govern's interpretation of the 2025 data.

According to his response in Parliament, human pressure in Ibiza during August fell by 2.3 percent compared with August 2024. When resident population was excluded, the reduction in pressure attributed to non-residents reached 5.2 percent.

This is a narrower measurement than the annual IPH comparison. It focuses particularly on August, the month traditionally associated with the island's highest seasonal pressure.

More Tourists but Fewer Overnight Stays

The tourism figures provide a more mixed picture.

Ibiza and Formentera together received 3.73 million tourists in 2025, approximately 1.2 percent more than in 2024.

At the same time, total overnight stays fell by around 7.2 percent and average length of stay also declined. Tourism spending nevertheless increased, meaning that more visitors did not translate into more nights spent on the islands.

These figures help explain why different indicators can point in different directions. Tourist arrivals, overnight stays and human pressure measure related but distinct aspects of tourism activity.

Ibiza Has Not Reached Its Historical IPH Peak

Although the annual average and 2025 maximum both increased, Ibiza did not set a new all-time record for human pressure.

The highest figure in the current island series remains the 336,903 people recorded in 2017. The 333,667 recorded in 2025 was therefore close to, but below, that historical maximum.

The distinction is relevant because describing 2025 as an annual increase does not mean the island experienced its highest human pressure ever.

PSOE Says Containment Measures Have Not Gone Far Enough

Pitaluga argues that the increase in the annual IPH shows that existing tourism-containment measures have not produced the reduction in overall human pressure that the party believes is necessary.

He has also questioned the effectiveness of measures against illegal tourist accommodation, arguing that removing online advertisements does not necessarily mean that the corresponding accommodation capacity has disappeared. That is the PSOE's assessment of the effectiveness of the policy, rather than a verified measurement of its results.

Govern Defends Its Tourism Strategy

Bauzà has rejected that interpretation and defended the work carried out by the Govern and the Consell d'Eivissa.

He has pointed to measures including increased inspection and enforcement resources, the use of automated systems to detect potentially illegal tourist accommodation and cooperation with major booking platforms.

The Govern says its objective is to reduce pressure on the island while improving coexistence between residents and visitors.

The Debate Is About More Than One Number

The disagreement therefore does not come down to a single statistic.

The annual IPH shows that average human pressure in Ibiza increased in 2025. The island's maximum also increased slightly, although it remained below the historical record.

At the same time, the Govern can point to a reduction in August pressure, particularly in the measurement excluding residents, while tourist arrivals to Ibiza and Formentera increased and overnight stays declined.

Each figure describes a different part of Ibiza's tourism and population picture.

A Continuing Debate Over Ibiza's Capacity

The latest parliamentary confrontation reflects a wider debate over how Ibiza should manage tourism, infrastructure and population pressure.

For the PSOE, the increase in the annual IPH is evidence that the island continues to face rising demographic pressure despite the Govern's containment policies.

For the Govern, the lower August figures and shorter tourist stays indicate that some of its measures are beginning to change the pattern of tourism.

The underlying statistics are clear, but their political interpretation remains contested: Ibiza's average human pressure increased in 2025, while several other tourism indicators moved in different directions. That distinction will remain central to the debate over how much tourism the island can accommodate and what measures should be used to manage it.