Foreign Residents Now Make Up 24% of Canary Islands Population

The Canary Islands' total population reached 2.277 million in the first half of the year, growing only 0.53% year‑on‑year. This modest increase is entirely due to foreign‑born residents, with 14,158 newcomers added and the share of foreign population rising to 24.3% (553,265 people). At the same time, native‑born residents fell by 3,257 since January 2026.

Data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística and the Instituto Canario de Estadística show that foreign residents have surged 343% since the start of the 21st century, rising from 77,196 to 342,612. Italians now form the largest foreign group (55,553), followed by Colombians (32,381) and Venezuelans (28,200). British residents continue to decline, dropping 11.23% to 25,740, while Germans (27,631) and Moroccans (20,382) also feature among the top nationalities. Overall, the Canary Islands' population reached 2.258 million in 2025, with 15.17% of residents being foreign‑born.