A notable increase in the number of Canary Island residents born outside of Spain has been revealed in new data released by the archipelago. Three municipalities in Tenerife now have more foreign-born residents than locals, marking a significant demographic shift.
As of January 1 2023, 22.6% of the population are foreigners, marking a 5.8% increase compared to the previous year, according to the latest data from the Canary Islands Institute of Statistics (ISTAC). In Tenerife, the municipalities where the foreign-born population now outnumbers the locals are Adeje with 56.52%, Arona, with 51.8% and Santiago del Teide, with 51.5%. The only other municipality in the archipelago to show a similar trend is La Oliva in Fuerteventura, where foreign residents make up 50.74% of the population.
Among foreign nationals, the largest group hails from Venezuela, accounting for 3.7% of the total population. Other prominent nationalities include Cubans (2.6%), Colombians (2.2%) and Italians (1.9%), the institute revealed.
This demonstrates the strong link the islands have with South America. The islands were a hub that connected Europe, Africa and the Americas and became an important transit centre.
By island, Fuerteventura has the highest percentage of people born outside of Spain, with 38.4% of its inhabitants being foreign-born. It is followed by Lanzarote (33.2%) and El Hierro (30.5%). Tenerife, meanwhile, has a foreign-born population rate of 24.7%. Interestingly, Gran Canaria had the lowest percentage, with just 15.6%.
The ISTAC report also shows a substantial number of residents born in other regions of Spain. These account for 8.4% of the Canary Islands’ population, with most coming from Andalusia, the Community of Madrid, Galicia and Catalonia.
In Tenerife, residents born in other Spanish regions make up 7.9% of the population.
Finally, 62% of people living in Tenerife were born on the island itself. This figure is considerably lower than in Gran Canaria, where 75% of residents are locally born, and La Palma (66.6%).
Islands such as Lanzarote (44.8%), El Hierro (42.2%) and Fuerteventura (33.4%), in contrast, show a much lower proportion of native-born residents.
Tenerife also led the Canary Islands in absolute population growth in 2023, gaining 10,374 new residents. The total population across the archipelago reached 2,238,754 at the beginning of 2024, an increase of 1.2% compared to the previous year. Gran Canaria followed with 7,091 new residents and then Lanzarote (4,432).
Of the 88 municipalities in the Canary Islands, only 14 lost population last year. The total decline across these municipalities amounted to 297 residents.
The Canary Islands are facing a severe housing crisis, marked by rising property prices, a shortage of affordable housing and an increase in holiday rentals, which are impacting local residents and essential services. The archipelago set a target to build 50,000 new homes by 2030, but the construction rate is currently lagging far behind, at just 2,900 per year.