One in 10 people in the Balearic Islands now live alone, according to the latest figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), prompting renewed debate over whether flat-sharing could help ease the region’s worsening housing crisis. On 1 April, the archipelago recorded 121,467 single-person households within a population of just over 1.26 million. The figures come amid mounting concern over soaring rents, limited housing supply and the number of vacant properties across the islands.
Some economists and housing specialists argue that making better use of existing homes could form part of the solution. Pau A. Monserrat, a member of the Economic and Social Council (CES), professor at the University of the Balearic Islands and economist at Futur Legal, said encouraging elderly people living alone in large properties to share unused rooms could help combat both isolation and housing shortages. He called for public and private initiatives backed by clear regulation, saying unused rooms and empty homes should be considered as part of efforts to relieve pressure on the market.
Housing campaigners, however, warned against presenting shared living as a substitute for proper housing policy. The Banc del Temps Sencelles said people living alone should not be expected to sacrifice their privacy or independence simply because affordable housing is increasingly out of reach. The organisation stressed that while flat-sharing may suit some people by choice, it should never become an economic necessity imposed by rising costs and inadequate public intervention. Instead, it argued, governments should guarantee access to affordable housing so residents can decide freely how they wish to live.
Other housing groups and property professionals expressed similar reservations. Àngela Pons, spokesperson for the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH), saidshared accommodation might help reduce loneliness among older people but only with careful social support. José Miguel Artieda, president of the Balearic Islands’ association of estate agents (API), described flat-sharing as “an option, but not the answer”, warning it risked normalising long-term renting over home ownership and could create tensions in overcrowded homes. He argued future urban planning should focus instead on building more smaller properties and coliving developments, reflecting the sharp decline in household size over recent decades.
The broader picture suggests the housing crisis is already driving many residents into overcrowded living arrangements. Social scientist David Abril said thousands of people were sharing flats out of necessity rather than choice, undermining the right to adequate housing. Official figures show more than 124,000 households in the Balearics contain four or more residents, though academics believe the true number of shared homes is significantly higher due to underreporting. Antoni Jaume, president of the Balearic College of Property Administrators, said overcrowding had become increasingly common in Mallorca, with flats once occupied by five people now housing as many as 10 or 12, often with two people sharing a single bedroom.