Located in the Atlantic, some 1 000 km south-west of the Iberian Peninsula and a mere 97 km from the African coast, the seven Canary Islands are a Spanish outermost region of the EU. With just over 2 million inhabitants in 7 500 km2, their population density is almost three times the European average. The service sector accounts for 78% of the islands’ economy, which is primarily driven by tourism (the region welcomed 12 million visitors in 2022). Measuring above the Spanish and EU averages, the high level of unemployment poses a persistent problem in the region.