Crime up 0.9% in the Canary Islands in the first half of the year
The offenses that grew the most are intentional homicides, kidnappings, attempted murders and cyber‑crimes
Crime in the Canary Islands increased by 0.9 % in the first half of the year compared with the same period last year, reaching a total of 55,156 offences, according to the Ministry of the Interior’s balance reported by Europa Press.
Offences with the sharpest growth
- Intentional homicides: up 233.3 %, reaching 20 cases.
- Kidnappings: +100 %, with two incidents recorded.
- Attempted murders: +33.3 %, 28 cases.
- Cyber‑crimes: +24.8 %, totalling 1,298 incidents.
Offences that fell
- Sexual assaults with penetration (rape): ‑15.4 %.
- Residential burglaries (forced entry): ‑13.2 %.
- Crimes against sexual freedom (non‑penetrating): ‑10.1 %.
- Vehicle thefts: ‑10 %.
At the national level, overall crime fell by 0.9 % up to June 2025, driven by a continued decline in intentional homicides and completed murders (‑8.6 %) and property‑related offences such as thefts, robberies and vehicle thefts (‑4.6 %).
However, the statistics show a 7 % rise in sexual assaults with penetration (rape). Conventional (non‑cyber) crime recorded a ‑1.9 % variation compared with 2024, while cyber‑crime increased by 3.4 %.
“With these figures, the conventional crime rate in Spain stands at 40.6 offences per 1,000 inhabitants (the lowest band in the historical series), one of the lowest in the world. At the same time, the cyber‑crime rate is 9.7 offences per 1,000 inhabitants,” the Interior Ministry highlighted.
By criminal type, offences against sexual freedom grew 5.3 % over 2024, a rate lower than the year‑on‑year increase observed in previous years (5.7 % in 2024 over 2023). Sexual offences with penetration (rape) rose 7.0 % up to June, after a 7.6 % increase in the first quarter.
The ministry, headed by Fernando Grande‑Marlaska, reiterated that this “sustained increase” in sexual‑related crimes must be partially linked to “active awareness policies and a reduction of social and personal tolerance toward such offences,” which have led to a greater willingness among victims to report them.