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Side by side

Illes Balears or Spain?

Each place uses its own local data. National rules (economy, geopolitical stability, governance, tax & finance) are the same for both, so they cannot separate them. Neither wins everywhere; the tradeoffs below are what matter.

All about Illes BalearsAll about SpainChange a place

Data as of

Region

Illes Balears

Four sunlit islands, a tourism economy that runs on summer and a housing market that has outrun local wages.

Quality of life54average
Momentum78strong
Outlook–Spain-wide only
IslandsBeach islandsSummer-season economyYachtingBilingual: Catalan & SpanishInternational crowd

21st of 35 European metro regions

Country

Spain

Sun, food and a life lived outdoors, from big-city careers to quiet coastal towns.

Quality of life56average
Momentum52average
Outlook25weak
Mediterranean countryPublic healthcare systemRegional languagesLate meals and street lifeTourism economy

16th of 30 EU + EFTA countries

Illes Balears is a region and Spain a country. Each figure is that place’s own; scores compare each with its own peers (Spain with EU countries, regions with regions, cities with cities), so read them side by side rather than as a contest.

Why Illes Balears

  • Burglaries: 166 per 100k people vs 293 per 100k people
  • At risk of poverty: 11.6% vs 19.5%
  • Youth unemployment (15–24): 17.1% vs 24.9%
  • Homicides: 0.57 per 100k people vs 0.72 per 100k people
  • Sea & sun & mountains on islands that are easy to fly to from northern Europe
  • Safe outdoorsy daily life and a large international community

Watch out: Some of the highest housing costs in Spain against ordinary local wages; A season-driven job market with many places shut from November to March.

Why Spain

  • Employment gap, born abroad vs born in Spain: -3.7 points vs -8.4 points
  • Thefts: 451 per 100k people vs 940 per 100k people
  • Adults with a university degree: 52% vs 35%
  • Household income per person: 27,885 PPS a year vs 21,100 PPS a year
  • A mild climate along the coast and islands and long days outdoors
  • Regional variety in food and landscape and language

Watch out: Job openings and pay that differ widely by region and sector; Procedures that vary by region and often run only in Spanish.

Of 34 figures both publish in the same unit, Illes Balears is better on 11 and Spain on 7; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

78 · strongWellbeing25 · weak
46 · averageHousing49 · average
42 · averageJobs42 · average
36 · below averageHealthcare59 · average
32 · below averageSafety46 · average
21 · weakProsperity43 · average
–Geopolitical Stability100 · strong
–Demographics87 · strong
–Tax & Finance76 · strong
–Education62 · above average
–Economy59 · average
–Cost of Living56 · average
–Environment50 · average
–Governance32 · below average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureIlles BalearsSpainDifference
Housing
House prices, change in a year13.7%Q2 202612.1%Q2 2026Illes Balears 1.6 pts higher
Households spending >40% of income on housing6.4%20257.2%2025Illes Balears 0.8 pts lower
Cost of living
Household spending€37,812 a year2025€35,101 a year2025Illes Balears 8% higher
Inflation5.1%Sep 20265.0%Sep 2026about the same
Money & work
Household income per person21,100 PPS a year202327,885 PPS a year2025Illes Balears 24% lower
Net income per person (survey)€16,735 a year2025€15,620 a year2025Illes Balears 7% higher
Average gross salary€29,075 a year2024€29,540 a year2024about the same
Median gross salary€24,962 a year2024€24,497 a year2024about the same
Unemployment8.8%202510.0%Aug 2026Illes Balears 1.2 pts lower
Youth unemployment (15–24)17.1%202524.9%2025Illes Balears 7.8 pts lower
Employment rate (20–64)75.5%202573.0%Q2 2026Illes Balears 2.5 pts higher
Safety
Homicides0.57 per 100k people20240.72 per 100k people2024Illes Balears 21% lower
Robberies116 per 100k people2024130 per 100k people2024Illes Balears 11% lower
Burglaries166 per 100k people2024293 per 100k people2024Illes Balears 43% lower
Thefts940 per 100k people2024451 per 100k people2024Illes Balears 2.1×
Road deaths5.0 per 100k people20243.7 per 100k people2024Illes Balears 35% higher
Health
Life expectancy83.5 years202484.0 years2024about the same
Doctors419 per 100k people2024464 per 100k people2024Illes Balears 10% lower
Education
Adults with a university degree35%202552%2025Illes Balears 17.3 pts lower
People
Population1,249,844202549,128,2972025Spain 39.3×
Residents who speak English28.4% of residents202124.6% of residents2021Illes Balears 3.8 pts higher
Residents who speak English well19.8% of residents202114.7% of residents2021Illes Balears 5.1 pts higher
At risk of poverty11.6%202519.5%2025Illes Balears 7.9 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad28.7%202519.3%2025Illes Balears 9.4 pts higher
Born in another EU country6.4% of residents20253.3% of residents2025Illes Balears 3.1 pts higher
Born elsewhere in Europe2.5% of residents20251.7% of residents2025Illes Balears 0.8 pts higher
Born in Latin America13.8% of residents20259.4% of residents2025Illes Balears 4.5 pts higher
Born in Africa4.1% of residents20253.4% of residents2025Illes Balears 0.7 pts higher
Born in Asia1.5% of residents20251.3% of residents2025about the same
Born in North America or Oceania0.4% of residents20250.4% of residents2025about the same
Born abroad, change in 5 years4.4 points20254.4 points2025about the same
Employment rate, born abroad70.1%202569.6%2025Illes Balears 0.5 pts higher
Employment rate, born in Spain78.5%202573.3%2025Illes Balears 5.2 pts higher
Employment gap, born abroad vs born in Spain-8.4 points2025-3.7 points2025Illes Balears 4.7 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

52Culture, food and nightlife–
50High earners and investors57
46Young professionals39
45Founders and self-employed54
44Students55
42Retirees53
36Budget-conscious movers43
34Families with children53
–Remote workers57
–Beach, mountains and the outdoors46

Our read of each

Illes Balears

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Catalan is co-official here
  • Line up work before you come

Spain

    Data through Jun 2026 (Illes Balears) and Sep 2026 (Spain). Figures are compared only when both places publish them in the same unit; a dot marks the better value where better is clear.

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