People group profile · PG047826
The Canary Islanders of Spain
The Canary Islanders of Spain, numbering about 1,555,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a people of mixed European and North African ancestry whose identity is more closely tied to their European, particularly Spanish, heritage than to their ancient North African Berber roots.
They are an indigenous people in the Spanish people cluster of the Eurasian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Catholicism, and they primarily speak Spanish.

Fast facts
- Country
- Spain
- Population
- 1,555,000
- Affinity group
- European Peoples
- People cluster
- Spanish
- Primary language
- Spanish (spa)
- Primary religion
- Folk Catholicism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Guanche
- Region
- Southern Europe, Europe
- Location
- Canary Islands
Where they live
Gospel status
The Canary Islanders are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Canary Islanders
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Folk Catholicism · Christianity
77% adherents
Primary language
Spanish · Indo-European family
100% speak Spanish
Gospel resources in Spanish
- Bible available, published 2017
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- Magdalena (Spanish, Castilian)
- Magdalena (Spanish, Latin American)
- The Savior (Spanish, Latin American)
Bibles
- 1569 Sagradas Escrituras · text
- 1602 Reina-Valera Antigua · text
- Biblia de América · video, audio, text
- Dios Habla Hoy · audio
- La Biblia · text
- La Palabra de Dios para Todos · audio
- La Santa Biblia, Nueva Versión Internacional® · video
- Lenguaje Actual · audio
- Reina Valera 1995 · audio
- Reina Valera Contemporánea · video
- Reina Valera, Revisada y Corregida (1865) · text
- The Word of God for All - 2000 World Bible Translation Center · audio, text
- The Word of God for All 2014 · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Canary Islanders
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
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