At Thursday's session of the Council of Mallorca, approval was given for an analysis to be made of Mallorca's carrying capacity. In other words, this means an analysis of the maximum population that is sustainable when taking account of various factors, e.g. resources such as water.
All parties backed the motion put forward by the opposition Coalició per Mallorca with the exception of one of the two parties that currently control the Council, the Partido Popular.
Spokesperson for Coalició per Mallorca, Antoni Salas, said: "We need to plan for the future with data and a long-term vision. We are very pleased that the proposal is going ahead."
Key to all of this is to guarantee sustainable management of the territory and address the pressures on infrastructure and public services with objective criteria. The Coalició argues that the study should become the basis for Council strategic decision-making.
"We must ensure that Mallorca continues to be a liveable island, with opportunities for young people and with public services capable of responding to needs."
The population of Mallorca is at present around 970,000. It has risen by some 100,000 over the past ten years, the consistent growth regularly having raised issues regarding the island's capacity. Balearic governments of both right and left have called for improved financing from the state because of the rapid growth and the demands this implies.
In addition to the resident population, there is the temporary population that comprises mainly tourists. The August peak in terms of total human pressure in 2025 was around 1.5 million.