A new environmental study by the Balearic University has thrown out some interesting statistics which highlights the pressure that Ibiza is under in the 21st century.
Firstly, the ratio of tourists per resident is now 25.56 travelers per inhabitant, the second highest in the world with only Andorra having more at 33.5 tourists per resident.
The study also focusses on the ‘human pressure index’, at the beginning of August when the indicator is at its highest, the total accommodation capacity exceeds 122%, in other words “there are more people on the island than available places to house them. This gives us a clear indication of the saturation of the island”. The report is at pains to stress that that this isn’t sensationalism but the true reality comparing it to 17 years ago when the HPI figure was 100%, 22 points less.
The report also indicates that in 2016 there were 204,534 housing places for a total resident population of 142,065 people, an occupancy rate of 69.45%. In 2001 this figure was 55.57% and the report details the decline of residential accommodation options due to the increase in the island population and the stagnation of construction since the outbreak of the housing crisis.
They also indicate that “the total number of non-regulated tourist places in homes in 2016 was around 18,000 or 23,000, which would be between 3,100 and 3,900 homes”. This trend has brought with it “new serious social problems, such as the abusive rental and purchase prices and the consequent expulsion of the local population”.
More worryingly for younger residents the study reveals that in the modern Ibiza it takes 20 years to purchase a house with an average salary when financial guidelines recommend 4 years and also that a whopping 82% of salary goes towards renting on the island even though the the EU clearly states that “a household is overburdened when more than 40% of disposable income is allocated to housing expenses”.
The report concludes that based on the results obtained and the scenarios derived an “information system is necessary on the direction of the growth model”, as well as urging reflection “on the island that we want to leave for future generations”.
Source: Diario de Ibiza/Societat d’Història Natural de les Balears (SHNB)
"MAN IN SAN AN" by Martin Makepeace 