Crime levels in the Canary Islands rose by 3.7% during the first quarter of 2026, with Tenerife recording the biggest increase in criminal activity across the archipelago, according to new figures released by Spain’s Ministry of the Interior.

A total of 28,320 offences were recorded across the islands during the first three months of the year, representing 1,021 more crimes than during the same period in 2025.

Tenerife and Gran Canaria Behind the Increase

The province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife saw crime rise by 5.6%, while the province of Las Palmas recorded an increase of 1.9%. However, a closer breakdown of the data shows that most of the increase was concentrated in Tenerife and Gran Canaria themselves, where criminal offences rose by 6.8% and 5.9% respectively.

By contrast, crime levels fell across the other five Canary Islands, with the sharpest drops recorded in El Hierro (-26.4%) and La Palma (-16.6%).

Vehicle Theft and Violent Robbery Increase

The report also revealed rises in several specific categories of crime across the Canary Islands:

• Violent robbery and intimidation offences increased by 7%
• Residential burglaries rose by 7.8%
• Vehicle thefts surged by 30%
• Assaults and public disorder incidents increased by 2.8%

Meanwhile, cybercrime continued its upward trend, rising by 4% overall, with online fraud and computer scams increasing by 4.6%.

Some Crime Categories Fell

Despite the overall rise, the statistics also showed decreases in other types of offences:

• Sexual offences dropped by 7.4% across the islands, while drug trafficking crimes fell by 5%.
• The number of homicides also declined significantly in the Canary Islands, falling from 10 cases during the first quarter of 2025 to seven this year — a reduction of 30%.

However, nationally, Spain recorded a 10% rise in murders during the same period.

The report also noted that the three murders recorded in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife between January and March all took place within the municipality of Arona in the south of the island.

The figures come amid growing public concern over security, particularly in the more populated tourist and metropolitan areas of Tenerife and Gran Canaria.