The results of the 2025 Youth Sociobarometer from the Tamaimos Foundation show a Canary Islands youth that is "polarized, disenchanted, and deeply resentful of its institutions."
The island youth feel "deeply identified with the archipelago in which they live," as 57% of young people primarily identify as Canarian, but believe it is "a land without a future."
14% believe they will not have to emigrate in the future due to a lack of opportunities, while 28% of young Canarians believe they can fully develop in the Canary Islands.
This perception of social reality is causing a "serious institutional crisis," as only 8% of young people believe that political institutions have benefited the Canary Islands.
44% would stop supporting a political party for committing illicit acts and express "discontent" with the "instrumentalization of the far-right to ignite the fuse of political radicalization."
One in three young men and one in five women show symptoms of political radicalization, which indicates that, although it is a heavily masculinized phenomenon, it is not exclusive to men, Tamaimos points out.
This radicalization is based, "mainly, on a victimist discourse, which takes advantage of the general discontent of young people with their social reality and the political system to blame vulnerable groups," for which "anti-immigration discourse" is used, leading to "only 24% explicitly rejecting the idea that immigration is a major problem for the islands," the note adds.
This discourse "could even be penetrating progressive spaces," as the perception that immigrants "abuse the welfare system is widespread," the survey results warn.
"Two out of five young people believe that immigrants have priority over Canarians for aid and that they do not want to work or intend to adapt to Canarian culture."
Furthermore, the pursuit of equity (25%) and social progress (30%) for women is perceived as a "detriment to men."
Regarding the LGBTQI+ reality, one in three young people do not oppose the idea that this group "brainwashes" children to advance their agenda.
On the other hand, the message "Canary Islands has a limit" resonates with 66% of islanders, who share the idea that tourism represents a problem for the islands.
A "great rejection of the mistreatment of nature" is observed on the islands, as only a meager 8% of Canarian youth believe that the archipelago's ecosystem is sufficiently cared for.
The 2025 Youth Sociobarometer was conducted between September and November of this year through an online survey of a sample of 388 residents in the Canary Islands aged between 15 and 30, with a margin of error of 5% and a confidence level of 95%.
