Are the Canaries a dangerous destination?

No. The Canaries are above the Spanish average on the rate, but violent and property crime are not the driver — burglaries and thefts are actually falling. Tourist zones are visibly patrolled.

What is rising the most?

Online fraud. Internet fraud cases make up around 90 percent of cybercrime and have risen over 500 percent since 2016.

How much is crime rising overall?

Nationwide by just 1.0 percent in the first quarter of 2026 — a historically low level.

How safe is my island specifically?

It varies. Lanzarote and La Graciosa, for instance, reported a fall of 4.1 percent and, at 44.4 offences per 1,000 inhabitants, sit below the national and Canary averages.

What should I watch most?

Digital safety: phishing, fake bank or parcel messages and dubious online offers are now a bigger risk than classic theft.

Canary Islands crime 2026: the real driver is online

Visible police presence in the tourist zones: street crime is not the big driver of the statistics. (Photo: illustration)

At a glance National (Q1 2026): 595,240 recorded offences, +1.0% versus Q1 2025 — a historically low level
The Canaries: sit above the Spanish average on the crime rate
The real driver: cybercrime — online fraud makes up 90% of all cyber offences and has risen over 500% since 2016
What's falling: home burglaries −3.0%, thefts −3.2%, property crime overall −2.9%
Lanzarote as an example: −4.1% in offences, rate 44.4 per 1,000 — below the Canary and national averages, clearance rate 58.6%
Sources: Ministerio del Interior (Crime Balance Q1 2026), Dirección Insular Lanzarote, La Provincia

First, some context for the big number. According to the Interior Ministry's official crime balance, Spain recorded 595,240 offences from January to March 2026 — an increase of just 1.0 percent on the same quarter last year.

That is no jump, but a historically low level. The Canaries do sit above the Spanish average on the crime rate, yet the nationwide trend shows there is no question of a dramatic deterioration.

What surprises many: burglary and theft are down

The very offences residents and holidaymakers fear most are trending favourably. Nationwide, property crime — burglaries, thefts and robbery combined — fell by 2.9 percent.

In detail: home burglaries dropped 3.0 percent, thefts 3.2 percent, robbery with violence stayed practically unchanged (−0.1%). Vehicle thefts, by contrast, rose slightly (+2.6%).

Classic "street crime", then, is not the reason the overall figures point upward.

The real driver: fraud on the internet

To see where crime is really growing, you have to look at the smartphone and the computer. By far the most striking development is online fraud: internet fraud cases (estafas informáticas) alone make up around 90 percent of all cyber offences and rose again by almost 4 percent.

The longer trend is even more striking: since 2016 the number of these cases has multiplied by more than 500 percent nationwide. Cybercrime now accounts for around a fifth of all offences.

For a tourism- and economically connected region like the Canaries — with plenty of online booking, holiday letting and card payment — this is the genuinely relevant danger.

How to protect yourself against the most common scam Since online fraud is the biggest growth driver, digital caution pays off more than fear of the burglar. Distrust unexpected messages from your "bank", "parcel service" or "tax office" that press you to act quickly or contain a link. Never enter bank or card details via links in emails or texts, only via the official app or website. Enable two-factor confirmation for online banking. And be sceptical of "too good" holiday-flat or rental offers that demand advance payment by instant transfer — a classic on the islands.

An important note on sexual offences In the statistics, offences against sexual freedom rise slightly (nationwide +1.1%, +3.8% for serious cases). The Interior Ministry expressly notes that this increase is partly down to greater willingness to report: those affected now turn to the police more often, which shrinks the former hidden figure. More recorded cases here do not necessarily mean more offences — an example of why crime figures always need context.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Canaries a dangerous destination?: No. The Canaries are above the Spanish average on the rate, but violent and property crime are not the driver — burglaries and thefts are actually falling. Tourist zones are visibly patrolled.
What is rising the most?: Online fraud. Internet fraud cases make up around 90 percent of cybercrime and have risen over 500 percent since 2016.
How much is crime rising overall?: Nationwide by just 1.0 percent in the first quarter of 2026 — a historically low level.
How safe is my island specifically?: It varies. Lanzarote and La Graciosa, for instance, reported a fall of 4.1 percent and, at 44.4 offences per 1,000 inhabitants, sit below the national and Canary averages.
What should I watch most?: Digital safety: phishing, fake bank or parcel messages and dubious online offers are now a bigger risk than classic theft.

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As of 25/06/2026. Sources include the Ministerio del Interior (Crime Balance, first quarter 2026), the Dirección Insular de la AGE in Lanzarote and La Provincia. Recorded offences are an indicator of police registration and not the same as the actual number of all offences; changes can also reflect reporting behaviour and police activity. The current official publications are what count. Illustration.