Around 86,000 people in the Balearic Islands are living in severe poverty, with a monthly income below €680 if they live alone, according to the 2026 Report on the State of Poverty in the Balearic Islands. The findings highlight the continued financial difficulties faced by vulnerable residents, even as the archipelago's broader poverty and social exclusion indicators improve.

The report was presented at the Balearic Parliament on Friday, 16 October, by Xavier Torrens, president of the European Anti-Poverty Network in the Balearic Islands (EAPN-Illes Balears). It estimates that approximately 190,000 people, equivalent to 15.2% of the population, are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Although this is the lowest percentage recorded in the report's historical series, the organisation warns that significant hardship remains, particularly among households struggling with housing costs and other essential expenses.

What the Poverty Figures Reveal

The report draws on 2025 data from the Spanish National Statistics Institute's Household Living Conditions Survey. It distinguishes between severe poverty, monetary poverty and the broader risk of poverty or social exclusion.

For a person living alone, the severe-poverty threshold is below €680 per month. For a household consisting of two adults and two children, the reported threshold is €357 per person per month.

These figures illustrate how household composition affects the income threshold used to assess severe poverty. They are statistical thresholds, rather than a claim that every person experiencing severe poverty receives exactly these amounts.

The report also places the Balearic Islands' broader poverty and social exclusion rate at 15.2%, or approximately 190,000 people. While this represents an improvement in the overall indicator, EAPN-Illes Balears warns that the figures do not mean financial insecurity has disappeared.

Children Remain Particularly Vulnerable

One of the report's major concerns is the situation of children and young people.

Around 23% of people under the age of 18 in the Balearic Islands are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This is almost eight percentage points above the rate for the population as a whole.

EAPN-Illes Balears, which brings together 24 organisations working in social assistance, warns that economic hardship can restrict children's opportunities and contribute to poverty being passed from one generation to the next.

The report also records an increase in the monetary poverty rate, which reached 11.6% after three consecutive years of decline. This measure identifies people whose income falls below 60% of the national median income.

Housing Costs and the Pressure on Household Budgets

Housing affordability is a central concern in the report. According to figures cited by EAPN-Illes Balears, residential property prices increased by 95.1% between 2015 and 2025, while rental prices rose by 28.8% between 2015 and 2024.

The organisation links the pressure on household budgets to rising living costs, difficulties accessing affordable housing, investment in property, the expansion of tourist rentals and the historical shortage of public housing available at affordable prices.

It argues that economic growth and employment recovery have not benefited the most vulnerable groups sufficiently. Having a job does not necessarily guarantee financial security when housing and other essential costs absorb a large share of household income.

EAPN-Illes Balears is calling for stronger public policies to improve access to decent housing, expand social rental provision and help prevent evictions and the displacement of residents from their communities.

Calls for Stronger Income Support

The organisation is also asking public authorities to strengthen financial assistance for people on low incomes.

Its proposals include expanding the coverage and value of the Guaranteed Social Income scheme, known as RESOGA, improving the administration of Spain's Minimum Living Income benefit and introducing a universal child-rearing allowance.

Xavier Torrens has also highlighted the importance of ensuring that people experiencing vulnerability can access a minimum level of income, regardless of their economic, employment or administrative circumstances.

According to the report, public financial transfers play a substantial role in reducing poverty. Without these forms of assistance, the poverty rate would approach 28%, the organisation estimates.

EAPN-Illes Balears has additionally raised concerns about the growth of anti-poverty stigma, known as aporophobia, and is preparing a public awareness campaign addressing discrimination against people experiencing poverty.

An Improving Overall Indicator Does Not Tell the Whole Story

The Balearic Islands' 15.2% rate of risk of poverty or social exclusion represents progress in the broader indicator, but the severe-poverty figures show that many residents continue to face substantial financial pressure.

For EAPN-Illes Balears, the challenge is to ensure that economic development translates into better living conditions for vulnerable households, with affordable housing and adequate income support among its main priorities.

The report's findings underline the difference between an improving regional indicator and the everyday financial reality faced by people who struggle to cover housing, food and other basic needs.