Canary Islands Vehicle Numbers Approach Two Million as Traffic Pressure Continues to Grow
The Canary Islands now have almost two million vehicles in their registered vehicle fleet, with the latest figures highlighting the growing pressure on roads across the islands — including Lanzarote.
For residents and visitors, traffic is an increasingly familiar part of everyday life in the Canary Islands. From busy urban roads in Arrecife and Las Palmas to congestion around Tenerife’s major routes, the number of vehicles on the islands continues to rise.
New figures show just how significant that growth has become.
According to figures from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) covering the end of 2025, the Canary Islands had 1,977,854 vehicles in circulation.
That represents an increase of 53,515 vehicles in just one year, equivalent to growth of around 2.7%.
It is the strongest annual increase in the Canary Islands since 2020.
The growth helps explain why Canary Islands traffic, particularly around the busiest urban and tourist areas, is becoming an increasingly important issue.
Lanzarote is also seeing more vehicles
The increase isn’t limited to Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
Lanzarote’s own vehicle fleet has been growing steadily. Data reported by the Centro de Datos del Cabildo de Lanzarote put the island’s vehicle fleet at approximately 149,446 vehicles at the start of 2026, excluding mopeds.
That represented an increase of more than 4,500 vehicles compared with the previous year.
Arrecife has the largest concentration, with 52,844 vehicles recorded at the end of 2025.
For an island with a relatively small resident population but a substantial tourism industry, the number of vehicles using Lanzarote’s roads can be considerably higher than the number of vehicles registered to residents.
Rental cars, taxis, commercial vehicles and vehicles belonging to visitors all contribute to the amount of traffic experienced on the island.
Why are there so many vehicles in the Canary Islands?
The Canary Islands have particular transport challenges.
The islands are geographically separated, meaning that private cars remain an important form of transport for many residents. Public transport is available, but coverage and frequency vary considerably between islands and between urban and rural areas.
Tourism also plays a major role.
Millions of visitors arrive in the Canary Islands each year, and many tourists choose to hire a car to explore beaches, villages, national parks and other attractions.
On Lanzarote, car hire is particularly popular with visitors wanting to travel between resorts such as Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca, as well as explore attractions away from the main tourist centres.
This creates additional traffic demand, particularly during busy holiday periods.
Cars still dominate the Canary Islands vehicle fleet
Despite the growth in alternative-energy vehicles, conventional petrol and diesel vehicles remain dominant.
Official Canary Islands statistics show that the vehicle fleet reached 1,932,862 vehicles in 2024. More than 95% of cars and mopeds used petrol or diesel as their sole fuel source at that time.
Petrol vehicles accounted for approximately 64.6%, while diesel represented around 31.1%.
Electric and alternative-energy vehicles are increasing, however, with the number of alternative-energy passenger cars rising substantially in recent years.
Electric cars are growing — but remain a small part of the fleet
The latest figures also highlight the gradual transition towards electric vehicles in the Canary Islands.
At the end of 2025, fully electric vehicles still represented only around 1.1% of the overall vehicle fleet, with fewer than 22,000 fully electric vehicles across the islands.
That means the overwhelming majority of vehicles on Canary Islands roads continue to rely on conventional engines.
There are signs of change, though.
During 2025, registrations of electrically powered vehicles increased by 22.9%, according to the Canary Islands Institute of Statistics (ISTAC).
At the same time, registrations of diesel vehicles declined by 28.6%.
The figures suggest that the transition towards electric cars in Lanzarote and the Canary Islands is underway, although combustion-engine vehicles remain by far the most common.
The Canary Islands also have an ageing vehicle fleet.
The average age of vehicles in the islands is around 16 years, while approximately 545,000 vehicles are at least 25 years old.
Vehicles aged between 10 and 24 years account for a significant proportion of the fleet, while relatively few vehicles are only one to four years old.
An older vehicle fleet can have implications for emissions, fuel consumption, maintenance and road safety.
A growing challenge for the Canary Islands
The latest statistics provide a clear picture: the Canary Islands are moving towards a vehicle fleet of two million, while the transition to electric and lower-emission vehicles is progressing at the same time.
The challenge for the islands will be finding the right balance between mobility, tourism, environmental protection and the needs of residents.
For Lanzarote, where tourism and private transport are closely connected, the issue is particularly relevant.
With the island’s own vehicle fleet already approaching 150,000 vehicles, traffic and transport are likely to remain important topics for both residents and the millions of people who visit Lanzarote.
