Divorces in the Canaries drop by 23% as housing crisis forces couples to stay together
The ongoing housing crisis in the Canary Islands is having an unexpected social impact, a sharp 23.8% drop in divorces recorded during the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC), based on figures from the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ).
Traditionally, the Canary Islands have topped Spain’s rankings for marital separations. From the introduction of the divorce law in 1981 until 2020, the archipelago consistently recorded the highest divorce rate in the country of 120.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, far above regions such as the Balearic Islands (109.2) and Catalonia (100.7).
However, this year marks the third time since 2019 that the Canary Islands have lost that top position, falling to fourth place nationally. Between April and June 2025, the islands registered 51.4 marital breakups per 100,000 inhabitants, behind Murcia (54.9), the Balearic Islands (52.2), and Valencia (52.1). The national average stands at 43.9.
Housing crisis discourages separations
Experts and court sources suggest that the drop is closely linked to the severe housing shortage affecting residents. With record property prices and scarce rental options, many couples are simply unable to afford to split up and live apart.
As one legal analyst summed it up: “How do you separate from your partner if you’ve got nowhere to go?”
According to recent data, a Canary Island resident would need to spend 100% of their salary for 12 years to buy a home outright, or more than 40 years if allocating the recommended 30% of income to housing costs.
Marriage in decline
The TSJC also notes that the drop in divorce rates must be viewed in the context of a decline in marriages overall, with fewer couples choosing to marry compared to previous generations.
In this report, the term “divorces” includes all forms of marital dissolution, mutual or contested divorces, legal separations, and annulments.
Nationally, the number of divorce and separation filings fell across Spain during the same period, but the Canary Islands’ dramatic decline is seen as particularly striking due to the social and economic pressures unique to the archipelago.
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