Southern Tenerife Population Grows 4x Faster Than Capital
Southern Tenerife's population has grown four times faster than its capital over the past decade, driven by tourism and leading to calls for more financial aid to address strained services and a housing crisis.
The population in four major southern municipalities of Tenerife – Arona, Granadilla de Abona, Adeje, and San Miguel de Abona – has grown four times faster than in Santa Cruz and La Laguna over the past decade. Official statistics from Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE) show that the number of registered residents in the south is increasing much more quickly than in the metropolitan area. On average, the southern region saw an 18% rise, compared to just 4.5% in the capital area.
San Miguel de Abona and Granadilla de Abona have seen particularly significant population growth in the last ten years, with increases close to 29% and 24% respectively. Adeje and Arona also grew, but at a more moderate pace, with rises of 9.5% and 9%.
In contrast, Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, saw its population grow by 3.8%, and La Laguna by 5.1%. The actual difference might be even larger, as local records in the south sometimes show up to 20% more residents than the national statistics agency's figures.
This population boom in southern Tenerife is directly linked to the surge in tourism following the 2020 pandemic. This growth could be even higher if it weren't for the serious housing crisis and extremely high rental and property prices in the region. Experts also point out that the south has a more active population dynamic compared to the metropolitan area and especially the north, which helps offset the island's overall falling birth rates.
This trend of population growth is common across most southern municipalities. According to the INE, nearly 45,000 more people live in the region today than in 2015, not including tourists.
Because of this rapid growth, southern municipalities are asking for more financial help from public authorities. They need this support to ensure they can provide adequate services, infrastructure, and resources for their booming populations. They highlight their efforts to manage this situation but warn that there's a growing gap between the actual number of residents and the essential public services available.
They also connect this population increase to a growing and widespread problem: the rise of poor-quality housing and shantytowns on rural land, caused by the lack of affordable accommodation in southern Tenerife.