During 2008, the Balearic Islands have one of the highest population increases in Spain, reaching 1,072,844 inhabitants, which has led to an increase of 4.09% compared to last year. This increase is explained by the phenomenon of immigration, and the fact of having a relatively young population.
By islands in Mallorca there are 846,210 people registered, which has led to an increase of 3.92%. The greatest increases are in the Part Forana (the entire island except Palma), with a total population of 449,640 inhabitants, following the saturation of the municipality of Palma, which has 396,570 inhabitants. Palma continues to focus most of the economic activity and services, but may people choose to move to the towns and villages of Mallorca, despite having his job in the city. This phenomenon accentuates the access problems to Palma, where actions are planned to enhance them, not without controversy. Increasingly, the whole island behaves as the metropolitan area of Palma. It highlights the municipality of Escorca, where it has gone form 290 people to 276, despite being one of the largest on Mallorca, and Valldemossa with an increase of just one person. After Palma, the most populous municipalities are Calvià, Manacor and Llucmajor.
Menorca is the island that has had a lower growth, even from 2.44%, with 92,434 people registered, of which 28,904 are registered in Maó, the capital of the island, and 28,696 in Ciutadella de Menorca.
Ibiza has had a growth of 6.25% reaching 124,036 inhabitants, where the increase has been more remarkable is in Santa Eulària des Riu that for the first time has over 30,000 people and Sant Antoni de Portmany up to 21,082 inhabitants. But in absolute terms where the population has grown the most is in Vila (Ibiza city), which has reached nearly 47,000 people registered.
Finally, Formentera is the island with the highest percentage increase of the four islands, an 8.35% up to 9,147 people registered. On this island as in Ibiza, highlights the fact that the proportion of men is significantly higher than that of women, 7.85% in Ibiza and 12,5% in Formentera. Which it is explained by the significant presence of immigrants, from developing countries, mainly male.