Canary Islands tourist numbers by year
Ten years of monthly tourist arrivals: the stable pre-pandemic plateau, the 2020 collapse, and the record-breaking recovery that followed. All figures are official ISTAC/FRONTUR counts of main tourists.
Monthly arrivals, 2015–2026
Source: ISTAC · Dataset E16028B_000011 · Main tourists (excludes inter-island) · Apr–May 2020 not recorded
Three eras of Canary Islands tourism
Pre-COVID stability
COVID-19 impact
Recovery & records
Annual arrivals
Annual statistics summary
| Year | Total arrivals | vs prev year | Monthly avg | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 10,640,212 | — | 1,520,030 | Year in progress |
| 2025 | 18,386,274 | +3.5% | 1,532,190 | Record year |
| 2024 | 17,767,833 | +9.6% | 1,480,653 | — |
| 2023 | 16,210,911 | +3.4% | 1,350,909 | — |
| 2022 | 15,671,683 | +88.7% | 1,305,974 | Post-COVID recovery |
| 2021 | 8,307,165 | — | 692,264 | Recovery year |
| 2020* | 2,846,806 | — | 284,681 | COVID-19 (10 months) |
| 2019 | 15,115,709 | −2.9% | 1,259,642 | — |
| 2018 | 15,563,974 | −2.5% | 1,296,998 | — |
| 2017 | 15,964,527 | +6.6% | 1,330,377 | Pre-COVID peak |
| 2016 | 14,980,113 | — | 1,248,343 | — |
| 2015* | 10,143,181 | — | 1,127,020 | (Apr–Dec only) |
What a decade of data shows
Between 2016 and 2019 the Canary Islands welcomed a remarkably stable 15–16 million tourists per year, peaking at 15.96 million in 2017. That plateau ended abruptly in March 2020, when COVID-19 border closures cut the annual total to 2.85 million arrivals (−81.2% vs 2019), with a historic low of just 13,494 tourists in June 2020.
The recovery was unusually fast. Arrivals rebounded to 8.31 million in 2021 and 15.67 million in 2022 (+88.6%), effectively restoring pre-pandemic volumes in just two seasons. Growth then continued without pause: 16.21 million in 2023, 17.77 million in 2024 and a new all-time record of 18.39 million in 2025 — 3.5% above 2024 and more than 21% above 2019. What that volume means for the islands themselves is a separate debate, which we cover with sources in Canary Islands overtourism: the data behind the debate.
2026 is tracking close to record pace, with 10.64M arrivals between January and July. Monthly figures fluctuate with the calendar even within a record-breaking cycle. Updated ISTAC/FRONTUR data is added to this page every month.
2019 vs 2025: how the recovery compares
| Indicator | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual arrivals | 15,115,709 | 18,386,274 | +21.6% |
| Best month | 1,482,326 Mar 2019 | 1,731,031 Mar 2025 | +16.8% |
| Weakest month | 1,066,023 May 2019 | 1,314,111 May 2025 | +23.3% |
| Monthly average | 1,259,642 | 1,532,190 | +21.6% |
ISTAC publishes the island-level breakdown only from April 2024 onwards, so a like-for-like decade comparison per island is not possible from this series. The archipelago totals above are complete.
Frequently asked questions
How many tourists visit the Canary Islands per year?
In 2025 the Canary Islands received 18,386,274 tourists (official ISTAC figure), an all-time record and 3.5% more than in 2024 (17.77 million). Before the pandemic the archipelago received between 15 and 16 million tourists per year.
How did COVID-19 affect tourism in the Canary Islands?
In 2020 arrivals collapsed to 2.85 million, an 81.2% drop compared with 2019. June 2020 saw just 13,494 arrivals, the lowest month ever recorded. Pre-pandemic volumes were restored by 2022 (15.67 million).
What is the record year for tourism in the Canary Islands?
2025, with 18,386,274 tourist arrivals — the highest figure ever recorded, around 15% above the pre-pandemic peak of 15.96 million reached in 2017.
Where do these figures come from?
All figures are official statistics from ISTAC (Instituto Canario de Estadística), FRONTUR operation, dataset E16028B_000011. The metric counts main tourists and excludes inter-island trips. Data is updated monthly; the latest month included is July 2026.
Data source
ISTAC — Instituto Canario de Estadística
FRONTUR — Estadística de Movimientos Turísticos en Fronteras
More statistics
Island breakdown
Monthly statistics
Gran Canaria vs Tenerife