Region · Spain

Living in the Canary Islands

the Canary Islands sits between Spain's extremes on climate: winters near 15.7°C, summer highs around 26.2°C, and roughly 35 rainy days a year. Summer water stress reads WEI+ 0 against a national 56.

On the wallet: homes run about €2,016/m² (about the national average (€2,024/m²)); median net income is about €13,285 per person (7% below the national average (€14,279)).

Public healthcare here means a mean surgical wait around 106 days (3% above the national average (103 days)), with 17.4% of the surgical list waiting over six months — a real, published number, not a brochure claim.

We publish 9 of the Canary Islands's 88 municipalities in depth so far — the ones with a full guide portrait to sit alongside the numbers, weighted toward the milder-summer north. Every figure below is shown against the national reference, gaps included.

Schools PISA science 473 — 16 points below the national average (489)

Surgery wait 106 days — 3% above the national average (103 days)

Homes €2,016/m² — about the national average (€2,024/m²)

The numbers for the Canary Islands

Region-level data, each figure against the national reference. Where a figure is a comunidad-autónoma reading rather than a town measurement, we say so under the card.

Climate

Winter average: 15.7°C 7.9 °C above the national average (7.8°C)
Summer high: 26.2°C 4 °C below the national average (30.2°C)
Rainy days a year: 35 days 49% below the national average (69 days)
Sunshine: 7.8 h/day 7% above the national average (7.2 h/day)
Summer water stress (WEI+): no data

Aggregated from the region's municipalities (AEMET/derived); summer water stress is a river-basin (WEI+) reading.

Schools

PISA maths: 447 32 points below the national average (479)
PISA reading: 463 15 points below the national average (478)
PISA science: 473 16 points below the national average (489)

PISA 2022, reported per comunidad autónoma (INEE). National reference = the mean across the 17 comunidades.

Healthcare

Surgical wait: 106 days 3% above the national average (103 days)
Waiting over 6 months: 17.4% 0.7 pts above the national average (16.6%)
Specialist consult wait: 162 days 70% above the national average (95 days)

Public waiting lists, SISLE-SNS Dic 2025 (2025-12-31), per comunidad autónoma.

Cost & economy

Median net income / person: €13,285 7% below the national average (€14,279)
Median home price: €2,016/m² about the national average (€2,024/m²)

Median across the region's municipalities (INE net income; Catastro-derived sale price).

Who lives here

Born in Spain: 77.3% 11.5 pts below the national average (88.8%)
Born elsewhere in EU/UK: 8.4% 4.6 pts above the national average (3.8%)

Share of residents by place of birth, averaged across the region's municipalities (INE).

Town profiles in the Canary Islands

We profile 9 of the Canary Islands's 88 municipalities in depth — numbers plus an honest portrait. More as we cover them.

Is the Canary Islands right for you?

These are the Canary Islands's regional numbers. Whether it fits you depends on your priorities — winter sun or mild summers, short medical waits, a city or a village, an easy flight home. The 3-minute quiz scores every one of Spain's 8,132 municipalities on what you care about, the Canary Islands included.

Take the quiz — rank the Canary Islands for you →

Overview