PALMA, 8 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Col·legi Official of Architects of the Balearic Islands (COAIB) has approved more than 8,600 building projects during the first half of 2026, which represents a 28.1 percent increase compared to the previous year, despite the fact that a third of these projects involved the extraordinary regularization of homes.
These figures, taken from the Construction Observatory's report for the first half of the year, were presented on Wednesday at the Coaib's various offices on the islands.
The increase is also driven by housing construction, which rose 31.8 percent to nearly 5,700 approved homes, as well as a 31 percent increase in the budget to 2.4 billion euros and a 44.2 percent increase in the approved built area to almost 3.2 million square meters.
Despite this trend, architects have noted that the figures highlight one of the "main challenges" facing the Balearic residential market, specifically the "insufficient" supply of affordable and social housing in the face of growing demand.
Part of the increase recorded for 2026 is due to the effect of the extraordinary legalization of buildings. If these cases are excluded from the count, the number of approved building projects stands at just over 5,900, representing a year-over-year growth of 4.2 percent.
By region, Mallorca recorded more than 6,700 approved building projects, an increase of 26.23 percent, while if the extraordinary legalizations are excluded, the figure would be just over 4,600 projects, an increase of 4.9 percent. In Ibiza and Formentera, there are nearly 1,100 projects; without including the regularizations, this figure would be 627, while in Menorca there are more than 800 projects, of which 668 exclude regularizations.
The impact of the regularizations is especially evident in the single-family housing sector. The cumulative figures through June 2026 show around 3,100 single-family homes, 54.9% more than in the previous period. However, if the extraordinary regularizations are excluded, the figure drops to just over 1,500 homes, representing a decrease of 11.7 percent.
In Mallorca, the number of single-family homes with a building permit granted exceeds 2,400, an increase of 58.8 percent, but if the extraordinary legalizations are excluded, the figure drops to approximately 1,200, a decrease of 19.6 percent. In Ibiza and Formentera, 429 were registered – 198 if extraordinary legalizations are excluded – and in Menorca, almost 220 – 113 if these cases are excluded.
Regarding the construction of new homes, in Mallorca, building permits were granted for about 4,400 new homes, an increase of 38.8 percent compared to the previous period. In Ibiza and Formentera, more than 800 were recorded, while in Menorca the figure stands at about 470 homes.
Regarding private multi-family housing, the figures accumulated through June 2026 show more than 2,600 homes, 12.1 percent more than in the previous period. In Mallorca, there were almost 2,000, an increase of 20.23%, while Ibiza and Formentera registered almost 380 and Menorca more than 250.
By category, nearly 7,000 housing and renovation projects were approved, along with about 900 home extensions, 300 agricultural and industrial facilities, and 160 tourist establishments.
In terms of budget, the works approved in Mallorca are estimated at over 1.7 billion euros, in the Pitiüses Islands the figure is around 540 million, and in Menorca it exceeds 140 million.
The area of the projects approved in Mallorca totals 2.4 million square meters, an increase of 51.9 percent, while in Ibiza and Formentera it is almost 570,000 square meters and in Menorca it is 169,000 square meters.
Regarding the residential market, despite the increase in home construction and the positive trend in multi-family housing, the main challenge is the insufficient supply of affordable and social housing in the face of growing demand. In this regard, an increase in construction activity alone does not meet the needs of the residential market, and the figures highlight the need to increase the supply of affordable and social housing in the Balearic Islands.
