One in four minors in the Balearic Islands is at risk of poverty and social exclusion.

PalmThose under 18 are the segment most at risk of poverty and social exclusion in the Balearic Islands, with 23% affected in 2024, according to the EAPN's 2025 State of Poverty Report. Despite this high figure, it represents a 10-point drop compared to 2023. On a global scale, the at-risk-of-poverty and social exclusion (AROPE) rate has reached its lowest levels in recent years, standing at 16.2%, and for the first time since 2020 below the target set for this year, 6.6. Nearly 200,000 people are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Extreme material deprivation has also decreased by two points and affects those unable to cope with unforeseen events (30%) and those unable to make ends meet (40%), among other situations. All this, at a time when the Balearic Islands have had practically full employment figures for years. Now, with precarious jobs and low wages.

During the report presentation, the technical director of the EAPN, Andreu Grimalt, warned that these data "only show part of the problem." As he explained, the Living Conditions Survey, the report's main source, does not include particularly vulnerable groups, such as the homeless, those living in settlements, caravans, or vehicles, or those who are not registered. "We're talking about a minimum, a partial estimate that leaves out many of the most serious cases," Grimalt emphasized, insisting on the need to complement these data with other studies and field sources to "truly understand the extent of poverty and design effective public policies."

Poverty is strongly determined by social and demographic factors. Although the rate has dropped seven points since 2015, households with children have a higher risk (18.4%) than those without (14.4%). Living in rural areas also exacerbates vulnerability, with 23.4% of households affected compared to 15% in urban areas.

Regarding the income dimension of the AROPE indicator, the poverty rate in the Balearic Islands stood at 11.3%, a four-point drop compared to the previous year. Despite this improvement, 140,000 people still live below the poverty line, in households with incomes below 60% of the average. Of these, 5.4% of the population, more than 66,000 people, suffer from severe poverty, with incomes below 40% of the national average. Each person in this situation must survive on less than 340 euros per month if they are part of a family of two adults and two children, or 644 euros if they live alone.

Basic Limitations

Consumption also reflects this social inequality. Severe Material and Social Deprivation (SMSD), which measures the difficulty in accessing basic goods or participating in essential activities, affects 4.3% of the population (down 1.8 points compared to the previous year), or approximately 53,000 inhabitants of the archipelago. This figure, according to Grimalt, highlights the persistent difficulties beyond income indicators.

One positive piece of news is that the Balearic Islands remain one of the regions with the least inequality in Spain. According to the Gini index, the community registers 28.7 points, three below the national average. Despite a slight increase in the last two years, the rate remains six points below that of 2015 and below the level recorded in 2008 (32.1), which demonstrates a sustained reduction in inequality. The S80/S20 and S90/S10 indicators, which measure the income ratio between the richest and the poorest, confirm this trend: the richest 20% earn 4.6 times more than the poorest 20%, and the richest 10% earn 8.2 times more than the poorest 10%. Despite these differences, the Balearic Islands remain below the national average.

Access to housing is one of the main factors of social exclusion. Purchase prices have risen alarmingly, making it difficult for many families to acquire their own homes. This pressure has been accentuated by the purchase of properties by foreign investors and the withdrawal from the market of thousands of properties intended for tourist rentals, along with the historical lack of affordable public housing.

According to the data, the number of people living in property has decreased compared to 2008, while the number of people living in rented accommodation has increased by more than six percentage points in 15 years. This year, monthly rent has far exceeded mortgage payments, and two out of three people living in poverty spend a significant portion of their income on housing, an expense that affects the rest of the family economy and increases vulnerability. Specifically, the average monthly rent expense has reached 932 euros, an increase of 80% in the last ten years.

In his speech, the president of EAPN, Xavier Torrens, defended the work of social organizations in the face of the criticism they have often received—such as being called "beach bars"or accused of mismanaging public funds" and recalled that none of these organizations have been sanctioned by the Court of Auditors, while some political parties have. He also rejected the government's proposal to modify the guaranteed social income, which seeks to extend the legal residency requirement from one to three years to qualify for it. He also pointed out that the issue has not been addressed, which has prevented the allocation of more resources to social policies.