3 days Ago By Santiago Carneri
Government have agreed to reclassify rural land to allow more housing to be built in the Balearic Islands. It’s one of the key changes in the deal struck between the conservatives and the far-right in the regional parliament. The proposal means that so-called “transition areas” (currently classed as rural land) could now be redesignated as developable land, allowing more homes to be built in towns with over 20,000 residents.
It’ll be up to the local councils to decide, by full council vote, whether or not to reclassify this land. In Mallorca, seven towns could make use of the new rule: Palma, Calvià, Marratxí, Llucmajor, Alcúdia, Inca and Manacor. Buildable land Most Read on Euro Weekly News Easter opening hours in Mallorca Schumacher makes delicate trip from Mallorca home Celebrate Holy Week 2025 in Mallorca As for land that’s already classed as developable, the new rules will extend construction rights to all Balearic towns with more than 10,000 residents.
In Mallorca, that includes 17 towns: Palma, Alcúdia, Andratx, Calvià, Campos, Capdepera, Felanitx, Inca, Llucmajor, Manacor, Marratxí, Sa Pobla, Pollença, Santa Margalida, Santanyí, Sóller and Son Servera. According to the Housing Minister, José Luis Mateo, these changes to the decree aim to “make affordable housing more accessible” in response to the housing emergency facing the islands. Meanwhile, Vox’s spokesperson in the regional parliament, Manuela Cañadas, expressed her satisfaction that the government had taken on board her party’s demands.
“We’ve turned a stopgap into a real solution. This decree now offers long-term answers, respects personal freedom, boosts housing supply and makes owning a home no longer feel like an impossible dream,” she said. She also stressed, “This isn’t just propaganda,” adding that from now on, more towns in the Balearics will have the tools to act, more land will be available for construction, and more people will have the chance to find an affordable home.
Rising prices The average price of an 80-square-metre flat in the Balearic Islands has gone up from €144,134 in 2015 to €397,593 in 2025, according to Fotocasa figures. That’s a 176% increase in the value of a standard flat in just ten years. The housing crisis is now pushing locals off the islands.
In the past three years, a reverse migration has started, with island residents moving to mainland Spain. The once-crowded parts of Spain are starting to empty into the places that were previously being abandoned. Data from the Balearic Statistics Institute (Ibestat) confirms what many islanders are already feeling — that it’s now cheaper and easier to live elsewhere in Spain.
Figures from the past three years show that the Balearic Islands have only gained 376 new residents from other regions in Spain. That’s a dramatic turnaround for a region that used to attract migrants from all over the country, particularly during the tourism boom when many came from the south of Spain to work..
