Per capita spending per year on social policies in the Canary Islands stood at 407 euros in 2024, close to the state average of 431 euros. However, in 2025, this figure saw a significant drop to 348 euros, despite a context of economic prosperity in the islands, marked by GDP growth and increased tax revenue.
This data comes from the latest report by the State Association of Directors and Managers in Social Services. The report details that the archipelago allocated 7,803.4 million euros to social policies last year, an increase of 1,747 million (28.8% more) compared to 2020.
Taking 2020 as a reference, per capita investment in the Canary Islands has risen from 2,789.2 euros to 3,455.6 euros in 2025, an increase of 23.9%. This upward trend has been observed in most Spanish autonomous communities, with the exception of Catalonia.
Despite this accumulated increase, and according to initial budgets for 2026, per capita investment per year in social services and social promotion in the Canary Islands (376 euros) remains below the state average (457 euros). Only the Balearic Islands show a lower figure, with 288 euros.
Canarian investment falls far short of the peaks recorded in other communities, such as Navarra, which reaches 893 euros per capita per year, more than double that of the Canary Islands. The association that prepared the analysis warns that the initial budget data for 2026 should be considered with caution, as they are provisional and subject to change.
The percentage of social policies relative to the autonomous community's total budget was 63.2% last year, representing an increase of 15.5 percentage points compared to 2020. Spending on health, education, and other policies has also increased in recent years.
However, social services have grown at a slower pace, and their budget suffered a decrease in 2025 compared to 2024. Comparing 2020 with 2025, Health increased its budget allocations by 24.75% (from 3,672 to 4,581 million euros), and Education by 28.28% (from 1,899 to 2,436 million euros). Nevertheless, the education budget has moved away from the 5% of GDP required by the Canary Islands Education Law.
Despite the annual decrease, the rise in social services compared to 2020 stood at 61.93%, increasing from 486 million euros to 787 million.
