Women head more than eight out of every ten single-parent family nuclei recorded in Ibiza and Formentera, according to official statistical data. The figures, based on Spain's 2021 Survey of Essential Characteristics of the Population and Housing, identify 4,028 nuclei consisting of a mother living with her children out of 4,805 single-parent family nuclei across the two islands.

The figures offer an important picture of family composition in the Pitiusas, although they should not be interpreted as a current count for 2026. They also come against a backdrop of high housing costs, seasonal employment and difficulties balancing work with childcare, issues highlighted by the Fundación Adecco in its 2026 report on single-parent families and employment.

Women head 83.8% of recorded single-parent family nuclei

The Instituto de Estadística de las Illes Balears (IBESTAT) records 4,805 single-parent family nuclei in the combined Ibiza-Formentera statistical area. Of these, 4,028 are classified as a mother living with her children, representing 83.8% of the total.

The remaining figures should be understood in the context of the statistical category used by IBESTAT: the data counts family nuclei in which one parent lives with their children, rather than measuring every aspect of a family's circumstances or the support available to them.

There is also an important date qualification. The figures come from the 2021 population and housing survey, and the IBESTAT dataset was last updated in October 2023. It is not a live count of families currently living on the islands, and the published figures combine Ibiza and Formentera rather than providing separate totals for each island.

The cost of buying a home on Ibiza

Housing is one of the major financial pressures facing households in the Pitiusas. Data from the Balearic Government's Housing Observatory shows that the average purchase price of a house or flat on Ibiza reached €848,491 in 2025.

That was 48% above the Balearic Islands average of €571,136. The figure covers the average value of property transactions during the year, including houses and flats, rather than rental costs or the price of a particular type of home.

For a household relying on one adult's income, the cost of securing stable accommodation can place considerable pressure on the family budget. The challenge is not limited to purchasing a property: the cost and availability of rental housing can also affect where people are able to live and whether they can sustain employment on the island.

The Fundación Adecco identifies housing insecurity as one of the difficulties affecting mothers who are raising children without a partner in the household. Its report also highlights the importance of stable employment with sufficient income to maintain a home and meet children's needs.

Seasonal employment creates additional childcare challenges

The seasonal nature of the local economy presents another difficulty for families who have to coordinate work and childcare without a second parent in the household.

According to the 2025 report of the Balearic Economic and Social Council (CES), Formentera recorded a 153.8% difference in Social Security affiliations between July and December, while Ibiza recorded a difference of 78.6%.

The comparison illustrates how strongly registered employment changes between the summer and winter months. It does not mean that the same proportion of workers becomes unemployed when the tourist season ends, but it does demonstrate the scale of seasonal variation in the local labour market.

For parents responsible for childcare, the summer period can create a particular conflict. It is when tourism-related employment is at its busiest, while schools are closed and children may need alternative care arrangements.

Hospitality and tourism jobs can also involve changing shifts, long working days, weekends and schedules that are difficult to combine with fixed childcare arrangements. Without reliable support, accepting or maintaining a job can become more complicated.

Adecco report highlights economic vulnerability among unemployed mothers

The Fundación Adecco's 14th Monoparentalidad y Empleo report, published on 3 November 2026, examines the barriers faced by mothers with non-shared family responsibilities when trying to find and maintain employment.

Its findings are based on a survey of 210 unemployed women. The report highlights the extent to which limited income, difficulties accessing childcare and obstacles to employment can reinforce one another.

Among the women surveyed, 76.2% said they regularly received some form of financial or material support from family members, public administrations or social organisations. Within this group, 51% relied mainly on public assistance or benefits, 19% on family support and 12% on social organisations. A further 18% combined different sources of support.

The report also found that 16% needed this type of assistance but were not receiving it.

These survey findings concern unemployed mothers who participated in the study. They should not be interpreted as percentages for every single-parent household in Ibiza, Formentera or the Balearic Islands.

More than half of single-adult households with dependent children face poverty or exclusion risk

The report also examines the latest AROPE indicator, which measures the risk of poverty or social exclusion through household income, severe material and social deprivation, and low work intensity.

According to the figures cited by Adecco from the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE), the rate for households consisting of one adult with one or more dependent children reached 50.6% in 2025. The corresponding rate across all Spanish households was 25.7%.

This means the indicator for this type of household was almost twice the national overall rate.

The figure applies to the wider Spanish statistical category and is not an Ibiza-specific or Balearic Islands-specific measurement. It also describes risk of poverty or social exclusion, rather than confirming that every household included is living below the poverty threshold.

Employment and childcare remain closely connected

Adecco's research highlights how difficulties with childcare can directly affect access to employment.

Among the unemployed mothers surveyed, 73.2% said they had rejected a job offer or withdrawn from a recruitment process because the conditions were incompatible with their family responsibilities. More than half, 56%, also felt that mentioning their circumstances as a mother raising children without a partner reduced their chances of being hired.

The report found that 90% of the women surveyed experienced some degree of difficulty making ends meet. Education and housing were the two expenses most frequently identified as difficult to cover, cited by 54% and 44% respectively.

Adecco argues that stable employment, adequate pay and working conditions compatible with childcare are essential to reducing economic dependence and improving the long-term security of these families.

A challenge shaped by housing, work and family support

The available figures highlight different aspects of the pressures facing single-parent families. IBESTAT's 2021 data shows the predominance of mother-led family nuclei in Ibiza and Formentera, while the latest Adecco research describes the employment and financial difficulties reported by unemployed mothers across its wider survey.

In the Pitiusas, these issues intersect with a particularly expensive housing market and a labour economy that changes substantially between summer and winter.

The statistics do not provide a complete picture of every family's circumstances, nor do they establish how many of the 4,028 mother-led family nuclei currently face poverty or housing insecurity. They do, however, underline why access to affordable housing, stable employment and reliable childcare support remain important issues for families living on the islands.