Good to know
Good to Know
- Fuerteventura has the highest percentage of foreign-born residents of any Canary Island (38.4%), making it exceptionally multicultural and expat-friendly
- Northern municipalities (La Oliva, Antigua, Pájara) have nearly equal splits between foreign and native residents, reflecting tourism-driven settlement patterns
- German and Italian communities are the largest and most established foreign groups, though English, French, and Polish speakers are also significant
- The island's tech ecosystem is small but growing, centered on the Technology Park; most employment remains tourism-related, requiring English or other European language skills
- Remote workers and digital nomads are increasingly settling in Corralejo and other northern areas; fiber-optic internet and coworking infrastructure support this trend
Business And Tech Presence
- Startup Ecosystem
- Fuerteventura Startups consultancy body exists; growing remote worker and digital nomad community, particularly in Corralejo, supported by coworking spaces and strong internet infrastructure
- Economic Incentives
- Canary Islands Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF) provides tax advantages for business investment; favorable conditions for real estate investment and foreign entrepreneurs
Technology Park
- Name
- Parque Tecnológico de Fuerteventura (PTFSA)
- Established
- 2010
- Focus Areas
- Innovation, R&D, aerospace, geoinformation, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), biodiversity monitoring
- Infrastructure
- 750,000 m² dedicated to technology-based initiatives; fiber-optic internet, 5G implementation, business incubator, tax incentives
- Current Tenants
- 19 companies/entrepreneurs and 2 institutions
- Direct Employment
- approximately 150 jobs
Notable Startups
MNX Online
- Sector
- Digital transformation and sustainable technology in tourism
- Recognition
- Ranked among APTE's top 100 Spanish startups of 2023
Tourism And Visitor Origins
- Note
- Tourism patterns reflect broader migration of European residents
Primary Visitor Nationalities
German
- Visitor Share
- Largest share (~675k tourists in 2022); evenly distributed across island
French
- Visitor Share
- 30.9% of island visitors
Italian
- Visitor Share
- 22.21% of island visitors
British
- Visitor Share
- Significant presence, especially in northern areas (Corralejo)
Polish
- Visitor Share
- 26.7% of island visitors
Notable Foreign Nationalities
Italian
- Rank
- largest foreign community
- Estimated Count
- 8500
English
- Rank
- second
- Estimated Count
- 4300
German
- Rank
- third
- Estimated Count
- 3900
Moroccan
- Rank
- fourth
- Estimated Count
- 3800
Portuguese
- Rank
- fifth
- Estimated Count
- 1000
Ethnic Heritage
Local population ('Majoreros') descended from Spanish, Norman, and Guanche (ancient Canarian) heritage; over 100 different nationalities represented
Population Trend
Rapid growth; island population nearly doubled from 60,124 in 2000 to 131,502 by April 2026, driven primarily by foreign immigration
Total Population
- Current
- 131502
- Timestamp
- April 2026
Capital Municipality
- Name
- Puerto del Rosario
- Population Estimate
- approximately 44,000 (of island total)
Foreign Born Percentage
38.4
Native Canarian Percentage
33.4
Foreign Born Percentage Note
Highest among all Canary Islands; majority concentrated in northern municipalities like La Oliva (50.7%) and Antigua (47.2%)
Mainland Spanish Born Percentage
15.6
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Fuerteventura
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.