There was a 6% increase in crime in the Canary Islands in 2023 compared to 2022, with a rise of 29.9% in the case of criminal offences committed through cyber means, as per the latest report released by the Ministry of Interior on Thursday.
The 2023 crime balance tallies 86,651 cases of criminal offences reported by security forces in the Canary Islands, compared to 81,767 recorded in 2022.
In the case of sex-related crimes, there was a 4.3% increase, rising from 1,051 in 2022 to 1,096 in 2023; however, sexual assaults with penetration, which had been on the rise in recent years – with an 83.5% increase last year – saw a 6% decrease compared to the previous year, with 220 reports in 2023 versus 234 in 2022.
For the second year running, the crime report includes the evolution of cybercrime. In 2023, there were 17,779 such crimes registered in the archipelago, a 29.9% increase from 2022.
In this category, computer scams – 15,872 cases – saw the biggest rise, with a 37.7% increase compared to 2022 (11,699 cases).
Regarding the number of robberies with violence and intimidation, there was a 15.2% increase in the past year (1,861 cases compared to 1,615), although thefts involving breaking into homes, establishments, and other facilities decreased by 8.3% from 2022 (3,374 cases versus 3,679).
However, thefts increased by 11.3%, and vehicle thefts by 16.2%.
There was also a slight rise of 1.6% in drug trafficking-related crimes (756 cases in 2023 compared to 744 in 2022).
In terms of actual homicides, there were 17 reported in the Canary Islands last year, four more than the previous year, while attempted homicides and homicides in an attempted degree increased from 47 in 2022 to 60 in 2023.
Law enforcement also became aware of 1,390 cases of assault and brawls, a 14.8% increase from 2022.
By Islands
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In Gran Canaria, crime rose by 1.4% compared to the previous year, with 34,606 reported offences (34,115 in 2022), while in Tenerife, there was a 7.8% increase compared to 2022, with 37,443 complaints (34,729 in 2022).
In Fuerteventura, this figure increased by 15.7% compared to 2023, with 5,831 infractions (5,038 in 2022). In Lanzarote, crime went up by 5.3% compared to 2022, with 5,906 offences compared to 5,609 the previous year.
In La Gomera, the data increased by 6.1% in 2023, with 432 crimes compared to 407 in 2022. In La Palma, there was a 33.6% rise in crime compared to 2022, increasing to 2,229 criminal offences, from the 1,669 counted the previous year.
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Finally, on El Hierro, conventional crime increased by 2% compared to 2022, with 204 criminal offences compared to 200 in 2022.
