The foreign community in the Balearics has increased significantly. | Archive

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Population growth in the Balearics since the turn of the century has been such that a 'new' Palma has been created. The population of Palma in 1999 was 326,993. The growth in the islands' population since then has been 327,640, with almost half of it having been foreign.

The foreign community in the Balearics in 1999 was 45,017, 5.4% of the 821,820 total. Twenty years later, and this community has increased to 204,987 - 17.8% of a population of 1,149,460.

The National Statistics Institute's population figure for 2019 (the number of people registered with town halls) indicate that population growth in the Balearics over the past two decades has been higher in relative terms than any other Spanish region - up 40%. Murcia, with 32% growth, is the region which comes closest to the Balearics.

Nationally, the rise has been 16.9%, with four regions having experienced declines in population - Asturias, -5.6%; Castile and Leon, - 3.5%; Galicia, down 1.1%; and Extremadura, minus 0.5%.

The level of immigration in the Balearics has been influenced by economic circumstances, which have also affected emigration. In 2018, there were 12,126 new foreign citizens, a reflection of favourable circumstances.

The impact at municipal level varies. Calvia and Deya, with 31% and 30% respectively, have the highest foreign populations in Majorca. In absolute terms, Palma has the highest - 65,917 people but just 16% in relative terms. Marratxi, with five per cent, has the lowest.