Swedish property buying in Majorca has gone up significantly in the past five years, with the heaviest demand being in the Palma Bay area: around 85% of all sales. Estate agents say that typical prices being paid are 350,000 euros in Palma but up to 800,000 euros in the likes of Deya and Valldemossa.
Sweden's consul in Palma, Natalia Rigo Olausson, attributes this rise in demand to a beneficial exchange rate - almost ten krona to one euro - and improved air connections. Majorca is in fashion, she notes, and the number of Swedes registered on the island (some 11,000) have benefited from weekly flights in winter and more in the summer. Norwegian and SAS have both contributed to this increase.
Majorca, adds Rigo, has an excellent image in Sweden. This has been bolstered by the improved quality of restaurants, hotels and infrastructure and by a Palma reputation for being cosmopolitan, modern and with a superb quality of life. Media reporting in Sweden has assisted with the trend, and many Swedes are now opting to take advantage of technologies by working from Majorca.
The size of the floating population of Swedes in Majorca is not one that the consul can put a number on, but Rigo suggests that it is between 30,000 and 40,000.