Consumer confidence in Lanzarote has declined, breaking a trend of recovery seen since 2023. Recent data from the Consumer Confidence Indicator (ICC), compiled by the Canary Islands Statistics Institute (ISTAC) and the Lanzarote Data Centre, reveals growing pessimism in the first quarter of 2026, particularly regarding perceptions of the current economic situation.
Approximately 29.7% of respondents believe their situation has worsened over the past six months, up from 21.5% in the last quarter of 2025. Only 4.5% feel their circumstances have improved, the lowest figure recorded since 2018, while 65.7% believe their situation has remained unchanged.
These figures represent a notable shift from the trends observed over the last two years. The coming months will reveal whether this decline continues.
Since early 2023, negative perceptions had gradually decreased following the uncertainties caused by the pandemic, rising inflation, and increased energy costs. At one point, over 50% of the population reported feeling worse, remaining above 40% for much of 2021 and 2022.
Despite the increase in pessimism at the start of 2026, consumer sentiment remains more positive than during peak periods of economic uncertainty.
From 2024 to much of 2025, negative responses stabilised around 23% to 24%, a trend now disrupted by the rise to 29.7%, although still significantly below the highs recorded during the health crisis and subsequent price spikes.
Expectations for the next six months also show a drop in optimism. The proportion of citizens anticipating an improvement in their situation has decreased from 19.8% to 14.3%, while those forecasting a decline has edged up from 22.4% to 24.1%. A significant 61.6% expect no changes to their circumstances.
The Consumer Confidence Indicator assesses both perceptions of the past six months and expectations for the upcoming semester.
