Canary Islands Remain the Region with the Lowest Quality of Life
Leisure and social relationships, and overall life experience are the dimensions with the poorest scores.
The overall quality of life in Spain rose slightly in 2024 to 101.47 points, up from 101.20 the previous year, thanks to improvements in health, employment and education indicators. The highest levels were recorded in Navarre, La Rioja and the Basque Country, while the Canary Islands posted the lowest figures.
According to the Multidimensional Quality‑of‑Life Indicator (IMCV) 2024, published on Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), scores improved for material living conditions, work, health, education, safety, and environment, but declined for leisure and social relationships and for overall life experience.
The autonomous community with the highest quality‑of‑life scores 2024 was Navarre (105.19), followed by **La Rioja (103.91 and the Basque Country (103.74). The lowest scores were recorded in the Canary Islands (99.38), Andalusia (99.54) and Galicia (99.67). All three of these regions fell below the national average of 101.47. Other regions that remained above the national average include Cantabria (103.42), Aragon (103.39), the Balearic Islands (103.13), the Principality of Asturias (102.90), Madrid (102.28), Valencian Community (102.27) and Castile and León (102.51).
Below the national average, the rankings were: Extremadura (101.43), Catalonia (101.31), Castilla‑La Mancha (101.11), Region of Murcia (100.36), Galicia (99.67), as well as the autonomous cities Melilla (98.95) and Ceuta (97.91).
The overall Quality‑of‑Life Indicator in Spain increased by 0.27 points in 2024, reaching 101.47. The biggest gains compared with 2023 were observed in the Balearic Islands (+0.77 points) and the Canary Islands (+0.65 points), according to the INE.
Navarre stood out in health, leisure and social relationships, environment and overall life experience. The Basque Country excelled in material living conditions and education. The Balearic Islands performed best in employment, the Principality of Asturias in physical and personal safety, and the Valencian Community in governance and basic rights.