BALEARICS IN SERIOUS DEBT

Staff Reporter CITIZENS of the Balearics are the fourth most indebted community in Spain. On average, each inhabitant owes 23'381 euros to banks, building societies and savings organisations, whereas the national average is only 17'977. According to a recent report from the Bank of Spain on figures released for September 2003, each Spaniard or foreign national, owes 2'000 euros more than a year ago. As at that date, the population of Spain, in total, owed to banks and building societies a total sum of 734'296 million euros, a figure which represents a year-on-year growth of 14.27 percent. Of the credit given to families and companies, 47.80 comes from banks, whilst 46.64 percent was awarded by savings banks and 5.53 percent by credit unions. According to the Bank of Spain, the region of Spain bearing the burden of greatest debt is Madrid, where each citizen owes an average of 32'195 euros. This leading figure is followed by borrowers in Barcelona where indebtedness is running at 24'266 euros per head; by those in the Balearics with an average of 23'381 euros; and by the Biscayans, 22'689 euros. At the opposite end of the scale, the report shows that people in Orense only owe an average of 7'159 euros. Similar figures are revealed for those in the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa where indebtedness runs at 7'790 and 7'935, respectively. Across the regions, apart from Madrid and Catalonia, indicators of the highest concentration of credit point to Andalucia where the total current debt stands at 92'940 million euros; Valencia with 69'285 million, and the Basque Country with 44'906 million euros.