The president of the Consell Insular de Formentera, Óscar Portas, and the councilor of Economy, Territory and Infrastructures and second vice president, Javier Serra, have received this Tuesday the president of the Economic and Social Council (CES), Francisco Fiol, and the general secretary of the organization, Antonio Alcover, who have delivered the Report of the CES for the year 2024. During the meeting, Portas thanked the visit and the work of the CES “to have updated and rigorous data on the economic model of the islands”.
The report presented confirms that Formentera maintains a differentiated tourist model, characterized by a moderate volume of visitors but with a high profitability per stay, a feature that clearly distinguishes it within the Balearic panorama.
More profitable tourists and spending well above the Balearic average
In 2024, Formentera led the increase in total tourist spending in the Balearic Islands with 452 million euros, 24.2% more than in 2003. The average daily expenditure per visitor amounted to 222 euros, a figure well above the regional average (187 euros). In addition, the accumulated expenditure per tourist during his stay reached 1,155 euros, while the number of visitors who chose the island as their main destination grew by 18%, the highest increase in the whole archipelago.
The data reaffirm that Formentera has consolidated a model of “low volume and high value”, based on short stays -5.1 days on average-, a high expenditure per day and a strong orientation towards hotel accommodation, which concentrates 95% of overnight stays, compared to 82% of the Balearic average.
The origin of visitors also makes a difference: 81% of tourists are foreigners, a percentage that confirms the international specialization of the destination.
Sustained economic growth, higher than that of Mallorca and Menorca.
The report reveals that the Pitiusas recorded a GDP growth of 3.3% in 2024, below the Balearic average (4%) but much higher than that of Menorca (1.5%). However, the medium-term analysis consolidates the economic strength of Eivissa and Formentera: between 2019 and 2024, the Pitiusas accumulate a growth of 14.8%, the highest rate of the archipelago.
According to the CES, these data confirm the insertion of Formentera in an expansive and resilient economic dynamic, despite the high dependence on the tourism sector.
The labor market: maximum seasonality in the archipelago
The report details that Formentera registered in 2024 an average of 4,948 people employed, which represents a growth of 3.5%, identical to the Balearic Islands as a whole. However, the island continues to be the territory with the highest labor seasonality of the archipelago: the difference in affiliation between July and December reaches 148.4%, well above Mallorca (27.3%), Menorca (49.8%) and even Eivissa (78.7%). This high concentration of activity in a few months remains one of the main structural challenges.
Expanding demographics and the highest proportion of residents not born in the Balearics
Formentera reached a population of 11,483 inhabitants in 2024 and registered a population growth of 27.9‰, one of the highest of the islands and similar to that of Eivissa (27.8‰). The island also has the highest percentage of residents born outside the Balearic Islands, with 62.84%. In addition, 27.95% of the population is foreign.
In terms of human pressure in August, Formentera reached an increase of 182.8%, almost tripling the resident population and becoming the highest figure in the archipelago.
Energy consumption: growing deficit and external dependence
The report warns of a growing energy dependence, with an increase in electricity consumption of 2.7% in 2024 and a drop in domestic production of 22.9%. The island’s energy balance leaves a deficit of 67 gigawatts/hour, a level similar to that of Menorca and lower than that of Eivissa, although far from the surplus recorded in Mallorca.
Catalan in the PBAU and the best environmental performance
The report also analyzes the use of Catalan in the university entrance exam (PBAU): in Formentera it was 37%, below the Balearic average (47.8%) but above Eivissa.
In the environmental field, Formentera stands out with the best score in the Synthetic Environmental Indicator (ISM) of the archipelago: 49.8 points, ahead of Menorca, Mallorca and Ibiza.
