Canary Islands Housing Crisis: Why Young People Are Struggling to Move Out
For many young people in the Canary Islands, moving out of the family home is becoming increasingly difficult. New figures from the Spanish Youth Council’s Observatorio de Emancipación 2025 show that the cost of renting a home alone is far beyond the income of a typical young worker.
The report, presented on 28 October 2026, estimates that a young person in the Canary Islands would need to spend 126.5% of their salary to rent a home independently. In practical terms, their wages would not cover the rent, before paying for food, electricity, transport or other everyday essentials.
Only a small share of young people live independently
The report puts the youth emancipation rate in the Canary Islands at 15.4% in 2025 for people aged 16 to 29. That means most people in this age group were still living in the family home or had not otherwise established an independent household.
The figures underline how housing affordability affects more than the rental market. It can influence when young adults feel able to leave home, where they can accept a job, and whether they can plan for study, relationships or a family of their own.
Rent increases and shared accommodation
The report gives a median monthly rent of €1,224 across the islands in 2025, an increase of 8% compared with the previous year. With rents rising faster than many young people can comfortably absorb, sharing a flat is becoming a more common way to manage costs.
Almost half of young Canary Islands residents who rent—46.6%—share their accommodation. The report says this was 13.3 percentage points higher than in 2024. Sharing can reduce the cost for each tenant, but it also means less privacy and less choice over where and how people live.
Buying a home is also a major challenge
Renting is not the only barrier. The report estimates that mortgage repayments on a home would absorb close to 85% of a young person’s salary. Saving for a deposit can be just as difficult: the amount needed is equivalent to around 5.5 years of a young person’s entire salary, assuming none of it is spent on living costs.
These figures help explain why home ownership can feel out of reach even for young people who are working. A job does not necessarily translate into enough disposable income to save for a deposit or qualify comfortably for a mortgage.
Employment does not always mean financial security
The report also highlights that having a job does not automatically protect young people from financial hardship. It estimates that 25.6% of employed young people in the Canary Islands face a risk of poverty or social exclusion. Housing costs can consume such a large share of income that even people in work may struggle to cover essential expenses.
The challenge is particularly important in an economy where many young residents depend on service-sector work. Stable employment, wages that keep pace with living costs and access to affordable long-term housing all influence whether young people can build a secure future in the islands.
Why this matters for Lanzarote
The report covers the Canary Islands as a whole rather than providing a separate figure for every municipality, so its headline numbers should not be treated as Lanzarote-only statistics. However, the findings are relevant to residents across the archipelago, including young people trying to live and work in Lanzarote.
Housing availability affects local communities as well as individual households. When workers cannot find homes they can afford, employers may find recruitment harder, young adults may have to live with family for longer, and people may be forced to share accommodation or move elsewhere. For an island that relies on tourism and local services, access to housing is an issue that reaches beyond any one age group.
What happens next?
The Spanish Youth Council and its regional representatives have called for housing measures that are practical and measurable, with clear budgets, timelines and outcomes. The figures point to a need for longer-term solutions alongside any immediate rental support, including a greater supply of homes that local workers can realistically afford.
For young residents, the latest data offers a stark picture of the financial pressure involved in moving out. For the wider community, it raises an important question about how the Canary Islands can remain a place where the next generation can work, live and build a future.
Key figures at a glance
• 126.5% of a young person’s salary: estimated share needed to rent a home alone. • 15.4%: youth emancipation rate in the Canary Islands in 2025, among people aged 16–29.
• €1,224: median monthly rent reported for 2025, up 8% year on year. • 46.6%: share of young renters who share a flat, up 13.3 percentage points from 2024. • Around 85%: estimated salary share needed for mortgage repayments. • 5.5 years: equivalent of a young person’s entire salary needed to save for a deposit.
