Crime Rates Rise in the Canary Islands
Crime rates in the Canary Islands increased by 3.7% during the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2025. In total, the islands recorded 28,320 crimes, representing 1,021 more criminal offences than the previous year, according to the crime statistics published by the Ministry of the Interior.
Notable Decrease in Homicides
Despite the overall increase, homicides in the archipelago dropped by 30%. There were seven homicides reported between January and March, down from ten in the first three months of 2025.
Provincial Breakdown
By province, the increase was more pronounced in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where crime rose by 5.6% in the first quarter. In the province of Las Palmas, the increase was more moderate, at 1.9%.
Types of Crime on the Rise
Among the crimes that saw the most significant increases in the Canary Islands were:
- Violent and intimidating robberies, which rose by 7%
- House burglaries, which increased by 7.8%
- Vehicle thefts, which surged by 30%
Decline in Sexual Offences
The report also noted a 2.8% rise in serious and minor injury offences and public brawls. However, not all indicators showed an upward trend. Sexual offences fell by 7.4% in the Canary Islands during the first quarter. Drug trafficking offences also decreased, with a drop of 5% compared to the same period last year.
Increase in Cybercrime
Cybercrime continued to rise in the islands, with a 4% increase in the first quarter of 2026. Computer scams rose by 4.6%. This type of crime has shown a sustained upward trend in recent years, paralleling the increase in digital operations and everyday internet use for shopping, transactions, and communications.
National Overview
Nationwide in Spain, crime rose by 1% in the first quarter of the year. Of the total criminal offences, 79.4% were conventional crimes, while cybercrime accounted for 122,728 offences, a 1.2% increase from 2025.
Surge in Homicides
At the state level, there was a notable 10% increase in intentional homicides and completed murders, with 94 cases compared to 85 the previous year. There was also a rise in reports of rape, with 1,290 sexual assaults involving penetration, an increase of 3.8%.
Crime Trends Across Spain
Crime rose in most autonomous communities, with only Andalucía, Catalonia, Galicia, and La Rioja experiencing declines. The most significant increases were recorded in Aragón, which saw a rise of 10.5%, and the Balearic Islands, where crime grew by 8.6% in the first three months of the year.
