This makes an interesting comparison for Madeira Island, except that here we don’t have much illegal immigration from Africa.
Based on the available information, here’s a breakdown of Spanish islands with significant immigrant populations:
By Population Percentage:
The Balearic Islands consistently show the highest percentage of foreign-born residents.
* As of January 2025, nearly 28.3% of the Balearic Islands’ population consists of foreign-born residents.
* Within the Balearic Islands, Ibiza and Formentera have particularly high proportions, with nearly 28% of their inhabitants born outside Spain. Mallorca has 20% and Menorca just under 13%.
The Canary Islands also have a very high percentage of foreign-born residents.
* As of January 2024, 22.6% of the population in the Canary Islands (505,075 people) were born outside Spain.
* Within the Canary Islands, some individual islands have even higher percentages:
* Fuerteventura: 38.4%
* Lanzarote: 33.2%
* El Hierro: 30.5%
* La Gomera: 25.4%
* Tenerife: 24.7% (with some municipalities like Adeje, Arona, and Santiago del Teide having over 50% foreign-born residents)
* La Palma: 22.6%
* Gran Canaria: 15.6%
By Numbers (Approximate):
While precise “legal immigrant” numbers are harder to isolate from “foreign-born residents” or “irregular migrants” in the provided data, we can infer from overall population and foreign-born percentages.
The Canary Islands have a substantial number of foreign-born residents, estimated at over 505,000 as of January 2024. This number is increasing significantly, with a record 46,843 irregular migrants arriving in 2024 alone, in addition to other forms of immigration.
The Balearic Islands had 352,221 foreign-born residents as of January 2025.
Key Nationalities:
For Spain as a whole (and likely reflected in the islands), the main immigrant nationalities are Colombian, Venezuelan, and Moroccan. In the Canary Islands, Venezuelans are a notable group. In the Balearic Islands, Argentinians, Moroccans, Colombians, Germans, and Britons are prominent.
Important Distinction:
It’s crucial to differentiate between “legal immigrants” and “irregular migrants.” The data often refers to “foreign-born residents” or “migrants,” which can include both legal and irregular statuses. However, the high percentages of foreign-born residents in these islands indicate a significant established immigrant population. The Canary Islands, in particular, have seen a surge in irregular arrivals via the Atlantic route in recent years.
This information was obtained from AI
Healing Madeira 