More than 17,000 islanders await an appointment to be operated on in the Balearic Islands
At the end of 2025, the average wait was 105 days, below the state average
A total of 17,075 patients were on the waiting list for surgical intervention in the Balearic Islands at the close of 2025, according to the latest data published by the Ministry of Health within the framework of the National Health System.
The average waiting time to be operated on in the archipelago stands at 105 days, below the state average, which is 121 days. However, 3,832 patients —22.4% of the total— had been waiting for an intervention for more than six months.
In relative terms, the Balearic Islands register a rate of 13.6 patients waiting per 1,000 inhabitants, a figure lower than the Spanish average (17.6).
By specialties, the majority of pending patients correspond to general and digestive surgery (4,550), traumatology (3,874), ophthalmology (2,867), and otorhinolaryngology (1,786). These areas also concentrate the longest waiting times: 153 days in general surgery, 138 in traumatology, and 130 in ophthalmology.
These three specialties also lead the percentage of patients who have been on the waiting list for more than six months: 33.7% in general surgery, 28.2% in traumatology, and 26.1% in ophthalmology.
In the State as a whole, 853,509 people were awaiting an operation at the end of 2025, 6,926 more than a year earlier. Despite this increase, the average waiting time has been reduced by five days compared to the same period of the previous year, although it has slightly increased compared to June.
The percentage of patients waiting more than six months stands at 21.6%, slightly lower than the previous year, but higher than that recorded in mid-2025.
Regarding specialties, traumatology, ophthalmology, and general surgery concentrate the largest volume of patients waiting across the State. In contrast, dermatology, cardiac surgery, and ophthalmology present the lowest waiting times, while plastic surgery continues to lead the longest periods, with an average of 269 days.
The data show sustained pressure on the healthcare system, with significant differences between territories and specialties, and with a significant portion of patients continuing to accumulate prolonged delays to access surgical intervention.
