A holiday is a luxury nearly four in ten Canarians cannot afford
For nearly four in ten residents of the Canary Islands, a week's holiday away from home is an unattainable luxury. The figure — 39.28% of the population, according to the Canary Islands Statistics Institute (Istac) with 2025 data — places the archipelago above both the Spanish and the European average.
Photo: Giuseppe Milo, CC BY 3.0 (Symbolbild).
Behind that number lies a paradox: in one of the world's great tourist destinations, a large share of its own inhabitants cannot afford to travel. It is, above all, an indicator of income and cost of living, rather than a personal choice.
The figure: 39.28% cannot pay for a week away
According to Istac, using 2025 data from the INE's Living Conditions Survey (Encuesta de Condiciones de Vida, ECV), 39.28% of the Canarian population cannot afford at least one week of holiday per year away from home. This is what European statistics classify as a material-deprivation indicator.
The gender gap is noticeable: the shortfall affects 40.73% of women and 37.79% of men, according to the same body. It measures the inability to cover the expense, not a voluntary decision to stay home.
How it compares with Spain and the EU
The Spanish average stood at 32.2% in 2025, according to the INE's Living Conditions Survey, slightly below the 33.4% recorded a year earlier. The Canary Islands therefore sit more than seven points above the country as a whole.
Across Europe, close to 27.5% of the population cannot afford a week's holiday a year, according to Eurostat data — a threshold that Spain exceeds and that the Canaries clear comfortably. The archipelago thus ranks among the territories where this deprivation is most widespread.
Why: low wages and a rising cost of living
The explanation lies in the islands' economic structure: comparatively low wages, a labour market weighted towards seasonal and service work, and a rising cost of living and housing. The result is little room in household budgets for non-essential spending.
Income indicators bear this out. The at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion rate (AROPE) in the Canaries stood at 31.2% in 2025, against a national average of 25.7%, and 49.8% of Canarian households could not meet an unexpected expense — the worst figure in Spain, according to the INE's ECV.
The tourist-island paradox
The contrast is stark: while the Canaries string together record visitor numbers, a significant share of residents cannot travel. Cáritas, through its FOESSA report, puts the share of Canarians unable to afford a holiday even higher, at 45.3%.
Households run out of money for a holiday after paying for food and the mortgage, and four in ten cannot afford a week away from their own home, sociologist Thomas Ubrich of Cáritas Española said in remarks reported by public broadcaster RTVC. Even among those in work, a Randstad survey estimates that 43.5% of employed Canarians will cut their holiday days this summer — the highest share in the country.
An improvement that does not close the gap
The figure has improved over time: the shortfall affected 58.70% of Canarians in 2016 and 45.28% in 2024, according to Istac, before falling to 39.28% in 2025. The trend is downward, in line with the recovery in employment and income.
Even so, the archipelago remains at the top of Spain's rankings for this and other material shortfalls, such as the inability to keep the home adequately warm, which affected 18.81% of the population in 2025. More than a statistic about leisure, the figure works as a thermometer of inequality.
The data can be checked and cross-referenced at Istac (Canary Islands), the INE (Spain) and Eurostat (European Union).
Key facts and figures
- 39.28% of Canarians cannot afford a week's holiday a year (Istac, ECV 2025)
- By sex: 40.73% of women and 37.79% of men (Istac, 2025)
- Spain average: 32.2% in 2025; EU: around 27.5% (INE and Eurostat)
- Trend in the Canaries: 58.70% (2016) and 45.28% (2024), down to 39.28% (2025)
- AROPE in the Canaries: 31.2%, against 25.7% nationally (2025)
- Cáritas/FOESSA puts the shortfall at 45.3% of the Canarian population
FAQ
- How many Canarians cannot go on holiday?
- Nearly four in ten: 39.28% of the population in 2025, according to Istac using data from the INE's Living Conditions Survey.
- What exactly does that shortfall mean?
- That the household cannot pay for at least one week's holiday a year away from home. It is an official material-deprivation indicator, not a choice.
- Is the Canaries above the average?
- Yes. Spain stands at 32.2% and the EU at around 27.5%, according to the INE and Eurostat, both below the Canarian figure.
- Why does this happen in a tourist destination?
- Because of low wages, seasonal work and the high cost of living and housing, which leave little room for non-essential spending.
- Is the situation improving or worsening?
- Improving: in 2016 the shortfall reached 58.70% and in 2024 it was 45.28%. Even so, the Canaries remain at the top of Spain's rankings for this and other deprivations.
Read on
- Four articles void: which registration number a Canary Islands holiday let actually needs nowCanary Islands · 14 September
- Canary economy: nearly 10 new firms a day in AugustCanary Islands · 13 August
- Best apps to save money on your Canary Islands holiday in 2026Canary Islands · 20 July
- Canary Islands German pension tax: mostly paid in SpainCanary Islands · 12 November
- Canaries rent march: thousands carry keys on 11 NovemberCanary Islands · 12 November
- All events on the Canary Islands →