Human pressure on the Balearic Islands rose again in September, rising 0.23% over the previous year to set a new record for the ninth month of the year, after three consecutive months of decline. The data will come as blow to the Balearic government. Last month it was pleased that, for the second time since records began in 1997, and except for 2020 due to Covid, the maximum Human Pressure Index had decreased consecutively in the peak season summer months of June, July and August, something that had only happened in 2009. Only on four occasions - also excluding 2020 - had the maximum HPI fallen in August: 2009, 2013, 2018 and 2025.
The government considered the data to be ‘very positive’ and stressed that it ‘reflects the success of the government’s tourism strategy’, marked by ‘restricting tourist arrivals, which helps to reduce human pressure’ and by the objective of ‘growing in value rather than volume’.
However, according to the latest data published by the Balearic Institute of Statistics (Ibestat) and consulted by Europa Press, the human pressure index (IPH) rose on all the islands except Ibiza.
For the region as a whole, the maximum HPI in September was 1,862,698 people (on 1 September) and the minimum was 1,748,612 (on 30 September). The average for the ninth month of the year exceeded 1.8 million people in the island (1,817,710).
By island, in Mallorca, the day with the highest number of visitors was 5 September with a total of 1,380,579 people, and the day with the lowest number was 30 September with 1,327,781.
In Menorca, 1 September was the day with the highest number of visitors (187,225), while 30 September was the day with the lowest number (152,688).
In Ibiza, the only island that has seen a decrease in human pressure, the day with the highest number of visitors was 3 September, with 268,163 visitors, and the day with the lowest number was 29 September, with 258,481 visitors. Finally, in Formentera, the maximum was on 3 September (29,612) and the minimum on 30 September (23,493). I guess now the Balearic government can claim the data to be positive as it shows an increase in low season tourism.