71.6% of Tenerife’s population participates in sports

Under the slogan, “Tenerife, a More Active Island, ” and taking advantage of this month dedicated to physical activity and health, the Tenerife Island Council’s Sports Department presented the results of the “Study on Sports Participation Habits on the Island 2025–2026” on Thursday, April 9, in the Plenary Hall of the Tenerife Island Council . This is the first updated data since 2019, showing the reality, needs, and trends among 71.6% of Tenerife’s population, who currently participate in sports. This figure is 4.4% higher than the one from seven years ago and nearly 9% higher than the national average. However, although more than 70% of residents engage in physical activity, only 45.8% meet the 150 minutes per week recommended by the WHO—a 3.8% increase from 2019. In this regard, a persistent gender gap has been observed, with 50.4% of men meeting the recommendation compared to 40.9% of women, according to Vice President Lope Afonso and Sports Minister Yolanda Moliné.

During the event, which was held in the plenary hall of the Island Council, remarks were made by the vice president of the Island Council, Lope Afonso; the councilor for Sports, Yolanda Moliné; the technical director of Servicios Estadísticos de Canarias, S.L., Nieves González; and the head of the Sports Promotion Unit within the Island Council’s Sports Department, Samuel González—both of whom were responsible for conducting the study.

Also in attendance at the presentation were Ángel Sabroso, Deputy Minister of Physical Activity and Sports for the Government of the Canary Islands, and some fifty people from the public and private entities that make up the sports sector’s ecosystem at the island and regional levels: municipalities, federations, the Canary Islands Sports Industry Cluster, the ULL Sports Service, professional associations, and so on.

The vice president of the Island Corporation noted that studies like these “are essential and lay the groundwork for designing the island’s sports plans.” Afonso also expressed his gratitude “to all the individuals and organizations present at the presentation, as well as to all the collaborators who have made this invaluable study possible—one that is so valuable for both the present and the future—and through which we can also say that Tenerife is a more active island.”

Moliné, for his part, noted that “as one would expect, and as set forth in the ‘Active System’ pillar of our Tenerife Activa strategic plan, the goal is to improve sports management by strengthening coordination among the various stakeholders. That is why we wanted to share these results in a collaborative manner with the entire sports ecosystem on the island.” In addition, the councilor noted that “this will allow us to continue working in a more robust and efficient manner to achieve our mission, which is to increase the number of active people on the island, regardless of their age, gender, ability, or fitness level.”

Other Key Findings

Among the most notable findings of the “Study on Sports Participation Habits in Tenerife” is the gradual decline in physical activity with age, reaching 20% across age groups. The most common frequency of physical activity on the island is two to three days per week, accounting for 35.3% of respondents, while participation at a frequency of less than two days per week has decreased over the past six years. As for overweight rates among Tenerife’s population, they have fallen by 10 percentage points (37%) since 2019, while the obesity rate remains stable at around 15%.

With regard to self-reported health, 59% of Tenerife residents rate their health as good, 17.2% rate it as very good, and 20.4% rate it as fair.

Sports activities are concentrated in the afternoons on weekdays (peaking at 7:00 p.m.) and in the mornings on weekends (between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.). In addition, there is a clear shift in the locations where physical exercise takes place. The use of private facilities has increased by 26%, while the preference for urban and natural settings has decreased by more than 20% compared to 2019. Meanwhile, the most popular activities are gym workouts (26.1%)—which have seen the greatest growth—walking (12.1%), and running (7.5%). Functional training ranks fourth in popularity.

On the other hand, the main reasons for participating in sports are health (31%)—which is double the national average—and fun (19.5%). Meanwhile, lack of time and lack of motivation remain the main reasons for inactivity on the island.

Lack of interest (“I don’t like it”) has been cut in half over the past 6 years, while family responsibilities have become a greater barrier, with similar rates among men and women. In this regard, the family environment also deserves special attention, since only 59.2% of families strongly encourage sports among their children, and only 4 out of 10 families participate in sports together. As a result, the lack of family encouragement for active lifestyles increases screen time.

Finally, the study includes several sections on organized sports, investment in sports, and the integration of ICT. In the first section, 14.3% of the population that engages in physical activity holds a federation membership, a figure that matches the national average but shows a significant gender bias: only 6.2% are women, compared to 22% of men. Overall, 10.16% of Tenerife’s total population holds a federation membership, which is practically in line with the national average: 4.4% women and 15.9% men. Regarding the average annual expenditure per person in the sports sector, the figure amounts to 754.97 euros.

In 2025, women spend an average of 76.06 euros more per year than men, with the largest portion of that spending going toward sports facilities (353.89 euros).

In closing, we’ll take a moment to highlight the role of ICT. In total, 58.5% of active citizens use technology in their sports activities (31.9% more than seven years ago), with cell phones and fitness watches being the most commonly used devices.