Carmen showered with cold water all winter. She didn't have the money to buy a new water heater. At 54, she lost her job as a tourist information assistant when the Menorca Island Council privatized the service. She collected unemployment benefits and never found another job. Then she survived on a subsidy of 400 euros, which wasn't even enough to cover her rent. She gave tutoring lessons for five euros, structured as a part-time job. "I earned an extra 300 euros. I spent eight years fighting eviction," she confesses.

The average pension in the Balearic Islands reached €1,230.61 in December, representing an increase of just over 4.5% compared to the same month in 2024. However, it remains €87.10 below the national average. At the beginning of the last month of the year, there were almost 215,000 people in the Balearic Islands receiving some type of pension, 2% more than in 2024, according to figures released this Friday by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.