12% of population is foreign

One in ten residents in the Balearics are foreign, according to the latest report. A study carried out by the Social and Economic department of Sa Nostra bank has concluded that at the start of this year, 105.957 residents, just over 12 per cent of the Balearic population are foreign. In relative terms, the Balearics has the largest population of residents born overseas in Spain. European Union citizens account for nearly half, 48.7 per cent, of the 105.957 foreign residents, while the second largest group, accounting for 22 per cent, are from South America and 11.20 from North Africa. The largest foreign resident population is in Ibiza where it accounts for 17.04 per cent of the island's population, followed by Majorca where foreigners account for 11.68 per cent and Minorca where the foreign share of the population is 8.95 with the vast majority being British. The report also reveals that Palma, Ibiza and Mahon are the three most popular municipalities for non-European Union immigrants. The three capitals account for 56.4 per cent of foreign residents. In fact, the population of the municipality of Palma has grown faster than any other in Spain over the past 20 years. In 1981, the population was 290.372, at the end of last year, Palma's population has grown in size by 43.429 inhabitants to reach a total of 333.801. The biggest population growth has been over the past decade with the previous Partido Popular government in Palma encouraging immigrant workers to come to Majorca to help fill the gap in the labour market and help keep the rapidly growing economy going. In Madrid and Barcelona, however, the population has shrunk slightly.