The daily floating tourist population skyrocketed to 131.715 in 2024, representing a 74,4% increase compared to 2010. These are official figures from the Canary Islands Government, obtained by Maspalomas24H. Gran Canaria has a population density of 84,4 people per square kilometer. Thus, the island of Gran Canaria has entered a state of chronic saturation, where the growth of tourist activity far exceeds the local population's capacity to absorb it. And these figures do not include legal immigrants.
This demographic imbalance is the main social risk factor for the sustainability of the island's economic model. There are 6,6 tourists for every resident on the island throughout the year. Data from 2024 puts the resident population at 863.943 people. In contrast, the island received 4,59 million tourists annually, which translates to 6,6 tourists for every resident throughout the year.
The most revealing metric of daily pressure is the Daily Floating Tourist Population, which has experienced explosive growth over the last decade and a half. In 2010, with a resident population of 845.676 and a daily floating tourist population of 75.529, the total equivalent population stood at 921.205. By 2024, while the resident population only grew to 863.943, the daily floating tourist population skyrocketed to 131.715, representing a 74,4% increase compared to 2010.
This figure raises the total equivalent population to the worrying number of 995.658 people. This constant flow is the origin of the saturation ratio: when comparing the resident population with the daily floating population (863.943 / 131.715), it is established that there are 6,6 Gran Canarians for every floating tourist competing for resources and infrastructure.
Gran Canaria has the highest average stay in the Canary Islands, at 10,48 days (compared to 9,51 days in 2010), extending the impact of each visitor. This extended stay is reflected in the 55,6 overnight stays per resident per year on the island, one of the highest levels in the region. With a total area of 1.561,5 km², the tourist density reaches 84,4 people per km². At any given time, 13,2% of the island's total population equivalent is considered a floating tourist population. Historical trends and current figures confirm that Gran Canaria has reached a turning point where managing high population density has become the main challenge for social cohesion and quality of life.
