Mallorca is already exceeding its summer population peaks in winter compared to 25 years ago.
An analysis by Terraferida reveals that the winter months of 2025 already concentrate more people than the summer peaks of the year 2000.
PalmTerraferida's latest analysis has confirmed the trend: overcrowding in the Balearic Islands is no longer a phenomenon exclusive to the summer months. Based on data from the Balearic Institute of Statistics (Ibestat), the organization indicates that the winter months of 2025 already register more people—residents and tourists alike—than the peak tourist seasons of 25 years ago, demonstrating a sustained increase in population density throughout the year.
Although the Data from last summer reflected a slight decrease in the demographic load, The first since the COVID-19 pandemic, the influx of people to the Islands is still very high in peak season, and in August 2025 an average of 2,005,000 people were recorded daily, with a maximum of 2,062,787 people on August 6.
According to Terraferida's analysis, the peak day for human activity in the Canary Islands in 2000, August 10th, saw 1,538,375 people recorded. This figure is already lower than recent days outside of peak season, such as April 20th, 2024, when the peak human activity reached 1,544,089 people. The trend is even clearer when compared to previous periods: by March 2025, it had already equaled the absolute highs of the summer of 1997, while the all-time record was reached on August 6th, 2025, with 2,062,787 people.
Land available to build almost 180,000 new homes
Meanwhile, Terraferida warns of Mallorca's remaining potential for urban development. According to the most conservative estimates, the island currently has enough land to build at least 178,252 new homes, which could house at least 554,756 people, with a low density of three people per dwelling. This figure does not include consolidated urban land that has not yet reached its maximum capacity or density, nor the potential growth of the hotel sector. The organization focuses on Law 4/2025 on urgent actions aimed at obtaining land, which allows for the construction of transition zones in Mallorca's seven most populated municipalities. These areas, originally created to curb urban sprawl, can now be developed with densities of up to 225 inhabitants per hectare, which, according to Terraferida, represents "a demographic time bomb" in an already saturated area with stretched resources. Given this scenario, they are demanding an immediate moratorium on urban and tourism development.
