COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Outermost regions at a glance – assets, challenges and opportunities Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions
Date: 2022-05-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
Subjects: Azores, Canary Islands, EU regional policy, French overseas department and region, Madeira, coronavirus disease, epidemic, peripheral region, regional aid, regional cooperation, regional development, sustainable development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 3.5.2022  SWD(2022) 133 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Outermost regions at a glance – assets, challenges and opportunities Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS   Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions     {COM(2022) 198 final} - {SWD(2022) 134 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1.  Map of the outermost regions ............................................................................................................... 2 

2.  Statistics on the outermost regions compared to national and EU averages ......................................... 3 

3.  Selected specific provisions for the outermost regions in recent EU legislation .................................. 5 

4.  Factsheets per region ............................................................................................................................. 8 

a.  GUADELOUPE ............................................................................................................................... 9 

b.  FRENCH GUIANA ....................................................................................................................... 12 

c.  MARTINIQUE .............................................................................................................................. 15 

d.  MAYOTTE .................................................................................................................................... 18 

e.  RÉUNION ..................................................................................................................................... 21 

f.  SAINT-MARTIN ........................................................................................................................... 24 

g.  THE AZORES ............................................................................................................................... 26 

h.  MADEIRA ..................................................................................................................................... 29 

i.  THE CANARY ISLANDS ............................................................................................................ 32 

5.  End notes ............................................................................................................................................. 35 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Map of the EU’s outermost regions 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
2. Selected statistics on the outermost regions compared to national and EU averages  

Region 

Population 
2020 

GDP  
PPS per 
inhabitant 
% EU average 
2000  

GDP 
PPS per 
inhabitant  
 % EU average 
2020 

Growth rate 
2000-2019: 
Real GDP per 
head 
(in million EUR) 
yearly average 

Male employment 
rate 
% 
labour force aged 
15-64 
2020 

Female 
employment rate 
% 
labour force aged 
15-64 
2020 

Unemployment 
rate 
% 
labour force 
aged 15-74 
2020 

Youth 
unemployment 
rate 
% 
labour force 
aged 15-24 
2020 

NEET 
% of 
population 
aged 15-24 
2020 

Early leavers 
from 
education and 
training 
% age group 
18-24 
2020 

Median age of total 
population 
2020 versus 2100 
projections 

Guadeloupe 

412 682 

French Guiana 

288 086 

Martinique 

359 821 

Mayotte 

278 926 

La Réunion 

856 858 

Saint-Martin 

32 489 

69 

57 

67 

18 

64 

- 

69 

46 

76 

30 

68 

- 

France 

67.3 million 

118 

104 

Azores 

242 796 

Madeira 

254 254 

Portugal 

10.3 million 

Canary Islands 

2 236 992 

Spain 

47.3 million 

68 

76 

85 

95 

98 

67 

69 

76 

62 

84 

EU-27  

447.3 
million 

100 

100 

2.2 

0.3 

1.4 

3.0 
(2014-2019:  
yearly average) 

1.7 

- 

0.8 

1.3 

0.9 

0.8 

54.0 

48.9 

57.0 

41.9 

51.2 

- 

68.4 

70.7 

68.1 

71.6 

48.3 

36.2 

56.0 

23.9 

45.4 

- 

62.1 

60.7 

62.2 

66.6 

17.5 

16.1 

12.4 

27.8 

17.4 

- 

8.1 

6.1 

8.1 

6.9 

41.5 

- 

38.3 

55.4 

42.3 

- 

20.2 

- 

- 

22.6 

22.3 

33.6 

18.5 

- 

12.2 

26.8 

- 

- 

24.7 

16.4 

- 

11.4 

17.2 

- 

9.1 

- 

8.0 

27.0 

- 

8.9 

-0.2 

56.9 

49.3 

22.6 

51.6 

19.7 

18.2 

0.9 

1.2 

66.1 

55.7 

15.5 

38.3 

13.9 

16.0 

72.8 

62.4 

7.1 

16.8 

11.1 

9.9 

NEET- young people neither in employment nor in education and training 

Sources: EUROSTAT, INSEE/IEDOM, Azores SREA, Madeira DREM, Canarias ISTAC, DG REGIO calculations (for indicator: growth rate 2000-2019 - real GDP per head) 

2020: 45.6  
2100: 46.2  
2020: 26.2 
2100: 35.1 
2020: 48.6 
2100: 47.1 

2020: 17.9 
2100: 28.0 

2020: 37.1 
2100: 44.3 

- 

2020: 42.0 
2100: 47.5 
2020: 40.2 
2100: 52.3 
2020: 43.2 
2100: 52.8 

2020: 45.5 
2100: 49.5 

2020 (Gran 
Canaria): 44.0 
2100 (Gran 
Canaria): 54.4 

2020: 44.3 
2100: 50.2 

2020: 43.9 
2100: 48.8 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Region 

Exclusive 
economic  
zone 
(maritime) 
 in km2 

Fertility rate 
2019 

Infant 
mortality rate 
Deaths per  

1 000 live births 
2019 

Number of 
medical 
doctors 
per hundred 
thousand 
inhabitants 
2019 

Human 
resources in 
science and 
technology 
% active 
population 
2020 

% households 
with 
broadband 
access to the 
internet 
2021 

Exports1 
In million EUR 

Imports2 
In million EUR 

% women in 
national and 
regional 
assemblies3 
2020 

% share of 
Erasmus 
participants 
among the ORs4 
(100% for all 
ORs) 
2020 

Guadeloupe 

95 978 

French Guiana 

130 000 

Martinique 

47.64 

Mayotte 

63 078 

La Réunion 

311 426 

Saint-Martin 

1 066 

France 

11 691 000 
(world largest) 

Azores 

938 000 

Madeira 

442 248 

Portugal 

1 700 000 

Canary Islands 

356 000 

Spain 

1 039 233 

EU-27 

- 

2.30 

3.73 

2.00 

4.60 

2.39 

- 

1.86 

1.24 

1.16 

1.43 

0.94 

1.23 

1.53 

7.7 

9.7 

6.7 

8.5 

7.3 

- 

3.8 

2.3 

2.6 

2.8 

2.7 

2.6 

3.4 

277.9 

219.2 

305.9 

81.0 

337.6 

- 

336.4 

354.5 

442.3 

532.2 

394.5 

440.4 

391 

27.0 

31.1 

32.2 

17.8 

27.2 

- 

36.8 

23.0 

25.3 

31.0 

20.5 

26.3 

34.0 

75 

79 

86 

- 

87 

- 

88 

88 

87 

84 

97 

96 

88 

68.1 

29.4 

67.6 

1.3 

73.4 

- 

741.6 

410.7 

641.6 

203.6 

53.7 

45.1 

49 

50 

1478.5 

48.9 

- 

641 891 

688 412 

27.5 

25.7 

268.3 

250.2 

74 096.9 

78 323.2 

217.9 

1 206.8 

343 551 

327 023 

- 

38 

31.6 

29.8 

40 

44.3 

41.9 

6 248 664.2 

5 742 247.2 

32.3 

2.9 

1.4 

8.3 

0.4 

14.3 

- 

- 

6.6 

7.2 

- 

58.9 

- 

- 

1  

2  

3  
4  

Including both intra-EU + extra-EU exports. Does not include “exports’ to the OR’s Member State. Data from June 2021: Canary Islands.  Q1 2021 Quarterly data 
Reunion Island, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Azores. 2020 (p) Yearly data: France, Portugal and Spain. Madeira. 
Includes both intra-EU + extra-EU imports. Does not include “imports’ from the OR’s Member State. Data from June 2021: Canary Islands.  Q1 2021 Quarterly data: 
Reunion Island, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Azores. 2020 (p) Yearly data: France, Portugal and Spain. Madeira. 
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). 
Erasmus+ Annual Report 2020. 

4 

 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Selected specific provisions for the outermost regions in recent EU legislation  

EU LEGISLATION (*) 

PROVISIONS 

Common Provisions 
Regulation  

(CPR) 

European Regional 
Development Fund  

(ERDF) 

•  Co-financing rate 85% for all outermost regions, independently of GDP. 

• 

• 

Increased specific additional allocation of EUR 1.514 billion:  

- EUR 1.142 billion in ERDF and EUR 372 million in ESF+ (current prices) 

•  Retro-activity: investments under EMFAF compensation envelope and 
ERDF/ESF+ additional allocation can be financed after completion. 

•  Higher allocation for technical assistance. 

•  Additional allocation exempted from thematic concentration requirements. 

•  ERDF investments possible for: new airports and their infrastructure; disposal of 
waste landfill; increasing capacities for residual waste treatment in justified cases; 
productive investments in enterprises, irrespective of size.  

•  Outermost regions considered less developed regions, independently of their 

GDP, for thematic concentration requirements. 

Interreg  

(European Territorial 
Cooperation, ETC) 

•  A specific strand of EUR 280 million for outermost regions cooperation with 

other regions, countries and territories in their neighbourhood. 

•  Co-financing rate 85% for outermost regions cooperation projects. 

•  Dedicated additional amount of EUR 146.4 million (in 2018 constant prices) in 

Recovery Assistance for 
Cohesion and the Territories 
• 
of Europe 

(REACT-EU) 

• 

• 

addition to a share of respective national envelopes: 

- EUR 65.9 million for French outermost regions 

- EUR 65.6 million for the Canary Islands 

- EUR 14.9 million for Portuguese outermost regions 

Just Transition Fund  

•  Calls on Member States to consider the specific situation of their outermost 

(JTF) 

regions in the JTF plans and, when including them in their plans, to provide a 
specific allocation for them. 

European Social Fund +  

(ESF+) 

•  New specific additional allocation of EUR 372 million (current prices) is to be 
used for the general ESF+ objectives and is exempted from requirements to 
allocate a specific percentage to thematic areas.  

• 

In general, 12.5% of ESF+ funding is to support youth employment, vocational 
education and training in outermost regions with a rate of young people not in 
employment in education or training above EU average (all OR).   

•  Earmarked budget of EUR 315 million (current prices, same as in 2014-20) for 

compensation of additional costs and for structural investment: 

European Maritime, 
Fisheries and Aquaculture 
Fund  

• 

• 

• 

- EUR 131 million for French outermost regions 

- EUR 102 million for Portuguese outermost regions 

- EUR 82 million for the Canary Islands 

(EMFAF) 

•  Outermost regions can allocate up to 60% of budget on compensation, up to 70% 

if justified. 

•  Compensation measures receive 100% EU financing. 

•  Commission reports on implementation of outermost regions related measures. 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Programme d'Options 
Spécifiques à l'Éloignement et 
l'Insularité –  
Programme of Options 
Specifically Relating to 
Remoteness and Insularity 

• 

• 

•  POSEI: EUR 653 million (in current prices) per year in 2021-27 (same as in 

2014-2020) for the supply of essential agricultural products and support to local 
agricultural production: 

- EUR 278.4 million/year for French outermost regions  

- EUR 106.2 million/year for Portuguese outermost regions  

(POSEI) 

• 

- EUR 268.4 million/year for the Canary Islands 

  Co-financing 85% for outermost regions that are less developed regions and 80% 

European Agricultural Fund 
for Rural Development  

  Higher sectorial co-financing rates.  

for remaining outermost regions. 

(EAFRD) 

  Exemptions from various obligations. 

  Member States must assess outermost regions situation in shaping their CAP 

strategic plans. 

L’Instrument Financier pour 
l’Environnement –  
Programme for Environment 
and Climate action 

•  Special regard for projects in geographical areas with specific needs or 

vulnerabilities: specific environmental challenges; natural constraints; trans-
border areas; areas of high natural value or outermost regions.  

•  Support to small projects for protecting outermost regions biodiversity and 

(LIFE)  

ecosystems.  

•  Specific provisions to support transport, energy and digital projects in outermost 

Connecting Europe Facility 

regions with 70% co-financing. 

(CEF) 

•  Award criteria to take into account cross-border dimension, network integration 
and territorial accessibility projects, including for outermost regions and islands.  

•  Connections to airports, ports, urban nodes are eligible for funding. 

•  Contribute to greater connectivity and better digital skills in the outermost 

Digital Europe Programme 

regions. 

(DEP) 

•  Balanced geographical distribution including bridging digital divide, outermost 

regions to be taken into account in award criteria.  

Erasmus+ and  

European Solidarity Corps 

Horizon Europe 

Asylum, Migration and 
Integration Fund (AMIF) 

•  Specific entities to cover outermost regions’ needs to be set up locally. 

•  Should take into account outermost regions specificities and seek to increase their 

participation.  

•  Higher financial support for outermost regions’ participants.  

•  Opens ‘Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence’ actions to all 

outermost regions to share expertise to help them capitalise on their assets.  

•  Covers important topics for the outermost regions: tropical diseases; biodiversity; 

blue economy; renewable energy; combating climate change. 

•  Encourages Member States to ensure that national programmes address the 

Integrated Border 
Management Fund (IBMF) 

specific challenges outermost regions face, in particular situations of migratory 
pressure.   

Internal Security Fund (ISF) 

Neighbourhood, 
Development and 
International Cooperation 

•  Encourages cooperation between outermost regions and overseas countries and 

territories; enables joint programming Global Europe/Interreg. 

6 

 
 
Mechanism (NDICI – Global 
Europe) 

Creative Europe  

  Outermost regions’ specificities should be taken into account and their 

contribution to cultural diversity should be valued.  

InvestEU 

  Encourages Member States to use part of the national compartment in addressing 

market failures, e.g. in the outermost regions. 

Overseas Countries and 
Territories (OCT) Decision 

  Encourages cooperation between overseas countries and territories, neighbouring 
African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) and/or non-ACP states or territories and the 
outermost regions, as well as with regional bodies. 

EU Space Programme 

Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.  

  The Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands are to be included in the European 

  Can support adaptations to space ground infrastructure. 

Citizens, Equality, Rights 
and Values Programme 

  Seeks to promote greater sense of belonging to the EU in the outermost regions 

and the Union values. 

Single Market Programme 

  Can finance phytosanitary programmes for the control of pests in the outermost 

  Should address the specific needs of the outermost regions. 

regions. 

  Reduced taxation for certain locally produced products and categories of 

Octroi de mer – Dock dues in 
the French outermost 
regions 

products; higher level of taxation for products “imported” from outside the region, 
including from mainland France; the tax differential between local and 
“imported” similar products is  up to 20% or 30% in Guadeloupe, French Guiana, 
Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion.  

Tax on Imports and 
Deliveries of Goods in the 
Canary Islands (AIEM) 

  Local economic operators with an annual turnover below EUR 550 000 are not 

subject to dock dues. 

  Reduced taxation for certain locally produced products and categories of 

products; and higher level of taxation for “imported products” applies with a tax 
differential of up to 15%. 

  Total fiscal advantage resulting from AIEM is limited to EUR 150 million per 

year with possible exemptions in justifiable cases.  

Reduced excise duties on 
certain alcoholic products in 
the Portuguese outermost 
regions 

  Certain locally produced alcoholic products benefit from a reduced excise duty of 

75% if purchased locally and of 50% if purchased in mainland Portugal.  

Reduced rate of indirect 
taxes on traditional rum in 
certain French outermost 
regions 

Suspension of autonomous 
Common Customs Tariff 
duties into the Canary 
Islands 

(*) Non-exhaustive list  

  Traditional rum from Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Réunion 

benefits from a reduced taxation of maximum 50% (both excise duties and tax 
contribution on alcoholic beverages) when purchased in mainland France. 

  Total fiscal advantage is limited to an annual quota of 153 000 hectolitres of pure 

alcohol.  

  Common Customs Tariff duties for selected capital goods for commercial or 

industrial use and limited quantities of certain fishery products into the Canary 
Islands do not apply.  

7 

 
 
 
 
4. Factsheets per region 

a.  Guadeloupe 

b.  French Guiana 

c.  Martinique 

d.  Mayotte 

e.  Réunion 

f.  Saint-Martin 

g.  The Azores 

h.  Madeira 

i.  The Canary Islands 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
GUADELOUPE 

At a glance  

  Gross Domestic Product /capita (PPP) stands at 69% of EU-average * 

  Unemployment and youth unemployment rates more than double French and 

EU averages ** 

  Rate of young people neither in employment nor in education and training 

(NEET) doubles French and EU averages ** 

  % of households with broadband access to the internet is lower than in 

France ** 

                   * Source: Purchasing power standard (PPP, % of EU-27), Eurostat 2020  

** Source: Eurostat 2020          

54,5

24,8

21,8

2015

Guadeloupe

France

EU27

41,5

20,2

16,8

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Youth unemployment rate (%) (2015-2020) [Source: Eurostat]          

Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET, %) (2016-20)  
[Source: Eurostat] 

INDICATORS 

Guadeloupe 
2020 

France 
2020 

69 

104 

GDP 
Gross Domestic Product/capita (Purchasing Power Standard - 
% of EU-27) 
34 000 
GDP/capita at current market prices (EUR)                                                                                              
Population                                                                                                                                    
2020 
42.0 
Median age 2020  
47.5 (+5.5 y) 
Median age projections in 2100  
67.3 million 
Total population 2020   
69.6 million 
Projections total population in 2100 
103% 
Total population projections 2100 as a % total population 2020 
2020 
Unemployment 
8.1 
Unemployment rate 15-74 (%) 
65.2 
Employment rate 15-64 (%) 
20.2 
Youth unemployment rate 15-24 (%)      
Research 
2020 
HR in science & technology (% of active population) 

22 600 
2020 
45.6 
46.2 (+0.6 y) 
412 682 
277 231 
67% 
2020 
17.5 
50.9 
41.5 
2020 

27.0 

36.8 

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS 
Access to education 
Early leavers from education and training 18-24 (%) 
Young people neither in employment nor in education and 
training 15-24, NEET (%) 
Tertiary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
Less than primary/lower secondary education attainment 25-
64 (%) 
Access to ICT  
Individuals who used the Internet at least once a week (%) 
Households with broadband access to the internet (%) 
Access to health  
Number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants  
Number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants 

2020 
12.2 

22.3 

23.3 

39.1 

2021 
80 
75  
2019 
278 
563 

2020 
8.0 

11.4 

39.7 

18.5 

2021 
89 
88  
2019 
336 
584 

EU 
2020 

100 

29 900 
2020 
43.9 
48.8 (+4.9 y) 
447.3 million 
416 million 
93% 
2020 
7.1 
67.6 
16.8 
2020 

34.0 

2020 
9.9 

11.1 

32.8 

21.0 

2021 
- 
90  
2019 
391 
532 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
                         
 
                  
     
 
            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Economic structure of Guadeloupe, % GDP, 2020

51%

5%

18%

26%

Agriculture and agri-food

Construction, manufacturing, energy and
waste management

Public administration

Tertiary sector

     Source: CEROM (France) 

Assets 

-  Strategic location: proximity to the US, South America and Caribbean countries and 

territories 

-  Health: new university hospital to be completed in 2023, due to attract medical staff  

-  Environment and biodiversity:  geothermal  potential;  exceptional  biodiversity;  and 

large forests covering nearly half of the territory 

-  Agriculture: important banana, sugar and rum productions 

-  Transport:  largest  airport  of  the  French  outermost  regions,  well  connected  with 
Europe and the Americas; and major maritime port and hub in the Caribbean basin 

Challenges 

-  Demography:  high  share  of  youth  emigration;  shrinking  population  and  ageing 
(forecast to become one of the French regions with the highest share of elderly people 
within 20 years) 

-  Poverty and social exclusion: high level of poverty (one third of the population lives 

below the poverty threshold)  

-  Vulnerable  people:  high  rate  of  young  people  neither  in  employment  nor  in 

education and training (almost double of the national average) 

-  Education: high illiteracy and early school leaving (double of the national average) 

-  Employment: high unemployment (double of the national average) and only half of 

the population is employed 

-  Health: limited healthcare system capacity and chlordecone contamination  

-  Agriculture:  dependency  on  a  few  products  for  export  (e.g.  banana,  sugar)  and  on 

imported food products 

-  Digital: internet connectivity is lower than the French national average 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Focus areas 

-  Basic needs: provision of education, healthcare, transport, telecommunications, water 
and  waste  management  (e.g.  through  improved  infrastructure,  as  needed);  and 
development of natural disaster resistant infrastructure 

-  Vulnerable people: ensure adequate care of the ageing population 

-  Education: test educational models to increase  achievement (e.g. digitally oriented 
teaching methods), improve access to digital tools and create opportunities for young 
people e.g. support skills development among young entrepreneurs  

-  Employment:  test  inclusion  initiatives  (e.g.  social  benefit  schemes)  and  labour 

market activation methods;  

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  protect  biodiversity;  develop  sustainable  forestry 
and mitigate exposure to the impacts of climate change; explore geothermal potential 

-  Economy: further diversify the economy  

-  Tourism : enhance sustainable tourism, including blue tourism  

-  Agriculture: diversify agriculture sector, build on local resource and modernize food 

production to reduce the environmental footprint and improve food autonomy 

-  Energy: increase use of renewable energy, promote energy prosumerism (local 

production and consumption from renewable sources) 

-  Transport: explore airport and ports’ potential as regional hubs and modernise their 

infrastructure 

-  Regional  cooperation:  further  co-operation  with  neighbouring  countries  and 

territories  

Earmarked EU funding 2021-20275 

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€465 million 

€94 million 

€199 million 

€27.5 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 
share of 
€1.949 billion* 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
share of €155 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
share of €142 million* 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€195 million* 

5  

*POSEI/EMFAF amount is divided amongst the French outermost regions. EAFRD amount extrapolated based on EAFRD amounts 
deducted for 2021-2022 & shared with Saint-Martin. REACT-EU 2022 tranche extrapolated based on REACT-EU 2021 tranche.  

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FRENCH GUIANA 

At a glance  

  Largest  outermost region in terms of surface 

  Gross Domestic Product/capita (PPP) stands at 46% of EU-average* 

  Unemployment rate doubles French and EU averages** 

  Rate of young people neither in employment nor in education and 

training (NEET) is three times higher than French and EU averages** 

  Human resources in science, as a % of active population, is above 30% 

and is almost as high as EU average** 

  Fertility rate is one of the highest in the EU (3.73)** 

*Source: Purchasing power standard (PPP, % of EU-27), Eurostat 2020  
**Source: Eurostat 2020 

21,9

10,4

10,1

2015

French Guiana

France

EU 27

16,1

8,1

7,1

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

31,2

11,9

11,7

2016

34,4

French 
Guiana

32,0

33,6

11,4

11,0

2017

France

EU27

2018

10,6

10,1

2019

11,4

11,1

2020

Unemployment rate (%) (2015-2020) [Source: Eurostat]  

Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET, %) (2016-2020)   

[Source: Eurostat] 

INDICATORS 

GDP 

Gross Domestic Product/capita  (Purchasing Power Standard - % of EU-27) 
GDP/capita at current market prices (EUR)                                                                                              

Population                                                                                                                                    

Median age 2020  
Median age projections 2100  
Total population 2020   
Total population projections 2100 
Total population projections 2100 as a % total population 2020 

Unemployment 

Unemployment rate 15-74 (%) 
Employment rate 15-64 (%) 
Youth unemployment rate 15-24 (%)      

Research 

HR in science & technology (% of active population) 

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS 

Access to education 

Early leavers from education and training 18-24 (%) 
Young people neither in employment nor in education and training 15-24, 
NEET (%) 
Tertiary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
Less than primary/lower secondary education attainment 25-64 (%) 

Access to ICT  

Individuals who used the Internet at least once a week (%) 
Households with broadband access to the internet (%) 

Access to health  

Number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants  
Number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants 

French Guiana 
2020 
46 
15 000 
2020 
26.2 
35.1 (+8.9 y) 
288 086 
591 746 
205% 
2020 
16.1 
42.0 
- 
2020 
31.1 

France 
2020 
104 
34 000 
2020 
42.0 
47.5 (+5.5 y) 
67.3 million 
69.6 million 
103% 
2020 
8.1 
65.2 
20.2 
2020 
36.8 

2020 
26.8 
33.6 

18.7 
51.5 
2021 
89 
79 
2019 
219 
350 

2020 
8.0 
11.4 

39.7 
18.5 
2021 
89 
88 
2019 
336 
584 

EU 
2020 
100 
29 900 
2020 
43.9 
48.8 (+4.9 y) 
447.3 million 
416 million 
93% 
2020 
7.1 
67.6 
16.8 
2020 
34.0 

2020 
9.9 
11.1 

32.8 
21.0 
2021 
- 
90 
2019 
391 
532 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Economic structure of French Guiana, % GDP, 2018

44%

5%

15%

36%

Agriculture, forestry and fishing

Construction and industry

Public sector (non-market services)

Tertiary sector

Source: INSEE (France) 

Assets 

-  Strategic  location:  French  Guiana  is  -  by  far  -  the  largest  outermost  region,  with  a 
surface comparable with that of Portugal; largest French department; located in South 
America; and neighbouring Suriname and Brazil 

-  Demography:  young  population;  important  linguistic  and  cultural  variety;  and  rich 

indigenous cultures 

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  95%  of  territory  is  covered  with  forest  (including 
precious  woods);  very  rich  biodiversity;  and  important  water  resources  and  gold 
mines 

-  Tourism: important potential for sustainable nature tourism 

-  Energy: 70% of generated electricity comes from renewable energy 

-  Space:  strategic  space  infrastructure  (the  only  satellite  launch  facility  of  the  EU),  

with important potential for astrophysics development 

-  Research  and  innovation:  human  resources  in  science  above  30%  of  active 

population 

Challenges 

-  Geography:    large  territory  with  high  population  density  in  the  coastal  area  and 
isolated  and  dispersed  small  communities  across  the  territory;  lack  of  accessibility 
linked with lack of transport infrastructure  

-  Demography: very high rate of young people neither in employment nor in education 
and  training  (three  times  the  French  national  average,  the  highest  in  the  French 
outermost regions) 

-  Poverty and social exclusion: high poverty, including children poverty, aggravated 

by irregular migration from neighbouring countries 

-  Education:  difficult  to  access  education services; high share  of the population with 
low  educational  attainment  (the  rate  of  people  with  less  than  lower  secondary 
education is almost three times the national average); and high risk of illiteracy 

-  Employment: low employment rate, affecting in particular the youth 

-  Health: lack of access to health services for a significant part of the population 

-  Economy: no convergence on purchasing power standards per inhabitant over the last 

years (49% of EU average in 2015 versus 46% of EU average in 2020) 

-  Digital: internet connectivity is lower than French national average 

-  Migration: irregular migration makes it difficult to know exact number of inhabitants 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Focus areas 

-  Basic needs: provision of education, healthcare, transport, telecommunications, water 
and waste management in particular in isolated areas (e.g. through infrastructure, as 
needed), including road transport to link isolated areas 

-  Poverty  and  social  exclusion:  foster  access  to  education  and  healthcare  and 

measures to reduce poverty and social exclusion of isolated populations 

-  Education: reinforce measures to reduce early school leaving ;increase students’ and 

teachers’ mobility 

-  Employment:  reinforce  vocational  and  educational  training  including  by  fostering 

upskilling and reskilling opportunities to improve employability 

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  develop  products 

from  bio-resources 

for 

pharmacology and cosmetics 

-  Economy: further diversify and formalize the economy 

-  Agriculture:  modernise  agriculture  and  forestry  exploitations;  increase  food 

production; and develop further the sustainable wood value chain 

-  Digital: invest in digitalising the private sector (e.g. with support to small businesses 

to invest in digital infrastructure and in developing digital skills) 

-  Research  and  innovation:  develop  assets  (e.g.  in  blue  economy,  space,  renewable 

energy) 

-  Regional  cooperation:  strengthen  co-operation  with  neighbouring  countries  and 

territories, act as entry point of South American products into the EU 

-  Migration: increase capacity to manage irregular migration 

Earmarked EU funding 2021-20276 

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€346 million 

€65 million 

€165 million 

€22.4 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 
share of 
€1.949 billion* 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
€97 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
share of €142 million* 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€164 million 

6  

*POSEI/EMFAF amount is divided amongst the French outermost regions together. EAFRD amount extrapolated based on EAFRD 
amounts deducted for 2021-2022. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MARTINIQUE 

At a glance  

  Gross Domestic Product/capita (PPP) stands at 76% of EU-average* 

  Unemployment and youth unemployment rates are well above French 

and EU averages** 

  Rate of young people neither in employment nor in education and 

training (NEET) is higher than French and EU averages** 

  % of households with broadband access to the internet is almost the 

same as in France** 

  Human resources in science, as a % of active population, is above 30% 

and is almost as high as EU average** 

*Source: Purchasing power standard (PPP, % of EU-27), Eurostat 2020 
**Source: Eurostat 2020 

46

24,8

21,8

2015

2016

Martinique

France

EU27

2017

38,3

20,2

16,8

2020

2018

2019

79

72

France

Martinique

88

86

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Youth unemployment rate (%) (2015-2020) [Source: Eurostat] 

                  Households with broadband access to the internet (%) (2017-2021) [Source: Eurostat] 

INDICATORS 

GDP 

Gross Domestic Product/capita (Purchasing Power Standard - % of EU-27) 
GDP/capita at current market prices (EUR)                                                                                              

104 
34 000 

Population                                                                                                                                    

                 2020 

Median age 2020  
Median age projections in 2100  
Total population 2020   
Projections total population in 2100 
Total population projections 2100 as a % total population 2020 

Unemployment 

Unemployment rate 15-74 (%) 
Employment rate 15-64 (%) 
Youth unemployment rate 15-24 (%)      
   Research 
HR in science & technology (% of active population) 

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS 
   Access to education 
Early leavers from education and training 18-24 (%) 
Young people neither in employment nor in education and training, NEET (%) 
Tertiary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
Less than primary/lower secondary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
   Access to ICT  
Individuals who used the Internet at least once a week (%) 
Households with broadband access to the internet (%) 
   Access to health  
Number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants  
Number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants 

2020 
- 
18.5 
27.1 
32.5 
2021 
85 
86 
2019 
306 
522 

     Martinique 
2020 
76 
24 600 

                2020 
                48.6 

47.1 (-1.5 y) 
359 821 
     234 325 
65% 
2020 
12.4 
56.4 
38.3 
2020 
32.2 

France 

                2020 

42.0 
47.5 (+5.5 y) 
67.3 million 
69.6 million 
103% 
2020 
8.1 
65.2 
20.2 
2020 
36.8 

2020 
8.0 
11.4 
39.7 
18.5 
2021 
89 
88 
2019 
336 
584 

EU 
2020 
100 
   29 900 
2020 
43.9 
48.8 (+4.9 y) 
447.3 million 
416 million 
93% 
2020 
7.1 
67.6 
16.8 
2020 
34.0 

2020 
9.9 
11.1 
32.8 
21.0 
2021 
- 
90 
2019 
391 
532 

15 

 
 
      
    
                
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Economic structure of Martinique, % GDP, 2020

5%

Agriculture and agri-food

51%

20%

24%

Construction, manufacturing, energy and waste 
management

Public administration

Tertiary sector

Source: CEROM (France) 

Assets 

-  Strategic  location:  proximity  to  the  US,  South  America  and  other  Caribbean 

countries and territories 

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  geothermal  potential;  rich  biodiversity;  and 

important maritime zone with high potential for blue economy  

-  Tourism: important tourism sector  

-  Agriculture:  important  banana  and  rum  production,  with  potential  to  diversify  and 

increase production 

-  Economy:  relatively  high  standard  of  living  (among  the  highest  in  the  Caribbean 

basin) 

Challenges 

-  Demography: forecast to become one of the French regions with the highest share of 
elderly  people  within  20  years;  many  young  people  leave  the  region  and  do  not 
return; and insufficient capacity to care for the elderly  

-  Poverty  and  social  exclusion:  high  level  of  poverty,  with  the  proportion  of 
households  benefiting  from  solidarity  income  is  almost  four  times  higher  than  the 
French national average 

-  Education: low level of young graduates and high levels of  youth exodus  

-  Employment:  significant  proportion  of  low-skilled  jobs  and  youth  unemployment 

rate  almost the double of national average 

-  Health: chlordecone contamination  

-  Economy: uneven territorial distribution of economic activities and need to increase 

support for local SMEs (linked with EU funding)   

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Focus areas 

-  Basic needs: provision of education, healthcare, transport, telecommunications, water 
and waste management (e.g. through infrastructure, as needed, with a focus on water 
infrastructure) 

-  Poverty  and  social  exclusion:  implement  inclusion  initiatives  (e.g.  social  benefit 

schemes) and support measures to reduce poverty 

-  Vulnerable people: create opportunities for young people to prevent brain drain and 

support return of young professionals 

-  Economy:  further  diversify  the  economy;  improve  competitiveness,  business 

research and innovation, and digital transformation 

-  Employment:  reinforce  vocational  and  educational  training;  foster  upskilling  and 

reskilling opportunities to improve employability 

-  Tourism : enhance sustainable tourism, including blue tourism  

-  Agriculture:  support  young  farmers;  modernise  the  sector  to  improve  food 
autonomy;  diversify  beyond  banana  and  sugar  crops;  and  improve  quality  and 
availability of land  

-  Transport: improve and modernise transport 

-  Digital: increase access to digital tools (e.g. grants to purchase digital equipment) and 

test digitally oriented teaching methods  

-  Research  and  innovation:  support  entrepreneurship  and  start-ups  by  facilitating 
access  to  finance  and  investing  in  modernization  of  regional  assets  (e.g.  pilot 
sustainable fishing methods and develop aquaculture) 

-  Regional  cooperation:  further  co-operation  with  neighbouring  countries  and 

territories  

Earmarked EU funding 2021-20277 

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€393 million 

€89 million 

€164 million 

€27.7 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 
share of 
€1.949 billion* 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
€112 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
share of €142 million* 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€198 million 

7  

*POSEI/EMFAF amount is divided amongst the French outermost regions. EAFRD amount extrapolated based on EAFRD amounts 
deducted for 2021-2022. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MAYOTTE 

At a glance  

  Gross Domestic Product/capita (PPP) stands at 30% of EU-

average* 

  Unemployment rate is more than 3 times higher than French and 

EU averages** 

  Population expected to almost triple from 2020 to 2100 (in 2100, 

population is expected  to be  280% of 2020)** 

  Fertility rate is the highest in the EU (4.60)** 

  Median age population is 17.9 years (42 in France and 43.9 in the 

EU)** 

   *  Source: Purchasing power standard (PPP, % of EU-27), Eurostat 2020  
** Source: Eurostat 2020 

25,3

10,4

10,1

EU 27

Mayotte

France

27,8

8,1

7,1

France 107

EU100

106

100

104

100

104

100

106

100

104

100

Mayotte 28

28

28

27

28

30

2015

2020
Unemployment rate (%) (2015-2020) [Source: Eurostat]                                       

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

     Purchasing Power Standard (% of EU-27 per capita) (2015-2020) [Source: Eurostat] 

INDICATORS 

GDP 

        Mayotte 
2020 

          France 
2020 

30 

104 

Population                                                                                                                                    

Median age 2020  
Median age projections 2100  
Total population 2020   
Total population projections 2100 
Total population projections 2100 as a % total population 2020 

Gross Domestic Product/capita (Purchasing Power Standard - % of EU-
27) 
GDP/capita at current market prices (EUR)                                                                                              
34 000 
2020 
42.0 
47.5 (+5.5 y) 
67.3 million 
69.6 million 
103% 
2020 
8.1 
65.2 
20.2 
2020 
36.8 

Unemployment rate 15-74 (%) 
Employment rate 15-64 (%) 
Youth unemployment rate 15-24 (%)      
   Research 
HR in science & technology (% of active population) 

9 700 
2020 
17.9 
28.0 (+10.1 y) 
278 926 
782 043 
280% 
2020 
27.8 
32.2 
55.4 
2020 
17.8 

Unemployment 

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS 
   Access to education 
Early leavers from education and training 18-24 (%) 
Young people neither in employment nor in education and training 15-
24, NEET (%) 
Tertiary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
Less than primary/lower secondary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
   Access to ICT  
Individuals who used the Internet at least once a week (%) 
Households with broadband access to the internet (%) 
   Access to health  
Number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants  
Number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants 

2020 
- 

- 

- 
- 
2021 
- 
- 
2019 
81 
137 

2020 
8.0 

11.4 

39.7 
18.5 
2021 
89 
88 
2019 
336 
584 

 EU 
2020 

100 

29 900 
2020 
43.9 
48.8 (+4.9 y) 
447.3 million 
416 million 
93% 
2020 
7.1 
67.6 
16.8 
2020 
     34.0 

2020 
9.9 

11.1 

32.8 
21.0 
2021 
- 
90 
2019 
391 
532 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Economic structure of Mayotte, % GDP, 2018

5%

52%

38%

5%

Agriculture and agri-food 

Public sector (non-market 
services) 

Industry 

Tertiary sector 

Source: INSEE (France) 

Assets 

-  Strategic location: proximity to Eastern Africa and Mozambique Channel 

-  Demography: very young and growing population (around 70% under the age of 30) 

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  rich  biodiversity  and  third  largest  lagoon  in  the 

world (only one with a double-barrier coral reef) 

-  Tourism: important tourism potential, including whale watching  

-  Agriculture: important dimension of arable land for agriculture 

Challenges 

-  Basic  needs:  extensive  lack  of  access  to  basic  needs  including  housing,  water, 
sanitation,  healthcare,  education;  lack  of  basic  health,  education  and  transport 
infrastructure; and absence of public transport network 

-  Demography:  the  highest  EU  birth  rate  and  high  irregular  migration  lead  to 
constantly increasing need for basic infrastructure (e.g. schools, hospitals, housing)  

-  Poverty and social exclusion: extremely high level of poverty; three quarters of the 

population live below the poverty threshold 

-  Education: low educational attainment and lack of teachers 

-  Employment: very low employment rate (less than half the French national average); 
very  high  unemployment  (the  highest  in  the  EU);  the  youth  unemployment  rate  is 
almost three times the national average; very high long-term structural unemployment 

-  Economy:  uneven  territorial  distribution  of  economic  activity  (concentrated  in  the 

eastern part of the territory); extensive informal economy 

-  Digital: lack of digital infrastructure, equipment and skills  

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Focus areas 

-  Basic  infrastructure:  focus  on  the  provision  of  housing,  sanitation,  education, 
healthcare,  transport,  telecommunications,  water  and  waste  management  (through  
extensive  investment  in  basic  infrastructure,  in  particular  education,  healthcare  and 
transport infrastructure); and develop natural disaster resistant infrastructure 

-  Poverty and social exclusion: develop measures to reduce poverty and exclusion 

-  Vulnerable population: create opportunities for young people (e.g. hiring grants for 
companies,  training  courses, and  apprenticeships) and align skills  development  with 
market needs 

-  Education: enhance educational capacity and skills of population 

-  Employment: reinforce vocational and educational training and foster upskilling and 

reskilling opportunities to improve employability 

-  Economy:  further  diversify  the  economy;  facilitate  the  integration  of  the  informal 
economy  into  the  formal  economy;  and  validate  skills  acquired  in  the  informal 
economy 

-  Agriculture:  reduce food import dependency by exploring agriculture potential and 

increasing farmers’ income; invest in food security 

-  Research and innovation: support start-ups (e.g. access to finance, business advisory 
services); support businesses’ digital transition; promoting the use of digital tools 

-  Regional  cooperation:  further  co-operation  with  neighbouring  countries  and 

territories  

-  Migration: increase capacity to manage irregular migration 

Earmarked EU funding 2021-20278 

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€289 million 

€58 million 

€122 million 

€16.5 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 
share of 
€1.949 billion* 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
€53 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
share of €142 million* 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€139 million 

8  

*POSEI/EMFAF amount is divided amongst the French outermost regions. EAFRD amount extrapolated based on EAFRD amounts 
deducted for 2021-2022. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RÉUNION 

At a glance  

  Gross Domestic Product/capita (PPP) stands at 68% of EU-

average* 

  Unemployment and youth unemployment rates more than double 

French and EU averages** 

  Rate of young people neither in employment nor in education 
and training (NEET)  more than doubles French and EU 
averages** 

  Exclusive maritime economic zone: 311 426 km2*** 

           *Source: Purchasing power standard (PPP, % of EU-27), Eurostat 2020  
           **Source: Eurostat 2020 ***11 691 000 km2 for France 

23,5

10,4

10,1

2015

Réunion

France

EU 27

21,8

11,9

11,7

17,4

8,1

7,1

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2016

2017

Réunion

France

EU27

2018

24,7

11,4

11,1

2019

2020

Unemployment rate (%) (2015-2020) [Source: Eurostat] 

Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET, %) (2016-20) 
[Source: Eurostat] 

INDICATORS 

GDP 

Gross Domestic Product/capita (Purchasing Power Standard - % of EU-27) 
GDP/capita at current market prices (EUR)                                                                                              

Population                                                                                                                                    

Median age 2020  
Median age projections in 2100  
Total population 2020   
Projections total population in 2100 
Total population projections 2100 as a % total population 2020 

Unemployment 

Unemployment rate 15-74 (%) 
Employment rate 15-64 (%) 
Youth unemployment rate 15-24 (%)      

Research 

HR in science & technology (% of active population) 

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS 

Access to education 

Early leavers from education and training 18-24 (%) 
Young people neither in employment nor in education and training 15-24, 
NEET (%) 
Tertiary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
Less than primary/lower secondary education attainment 25-64 (%) 

Access to ICT  

Individuals who used the Internet at least once a week (%) 
Households with broadband access to the internet (%) 

Access to health  

Number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants  
Number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants 

 Réunion 
2020 
68 
22 100 
2020 
37.1 
44.3 (+7.2 y) 
856 858 
    879 651 
103% 
2020 
17.4 
48.1 
42.3 
2020 
27.2 

        France 

2020 
104 
34 000 
2020 
42.0 
47.5 (+5.5 y) 
67.3 million 
69.6 million 
103% 
2020 
8.1 
65.2 
20.2 
2020 
36.8 

2020 
16.4 
24.7 

22.9 
      39.9 
2021 
79 
87 
2019 
338 
402 

2020 
8.0 
11.4 

39.7 
      18.5 
2021 
89 
88 
2019 
336 
584 

EU 
2020 
100 
29 900 
2020 
43.9 
48.8 (+4.9 y) 
 447.3 million 
416 million 
93% 
2020 
7.1 
67.6 
16.8 
2020 
34.0 

2020 
9.9 
11.1 

32.8 
       21.0 
2021 
- 
90 
2019 
391 
532 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Economic structure of Réunion, % GDP, 2020

3%

57%

36%

4%

Agriculture and agri-food 

Public sector (non-market services) 

Industry 

Tertiary sector 

Source: CEROM (France)

Assets 

-  Demography: very young population (over one third is younger than 20 years) 

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  geothermal  potential;  rich  biodiversity  with  a  very 

high rate of endemic species; forest covers 40% of the island 

-  Tourism:  safe  destination  with  good  health  infrastructure,  which  is  important  for 

tourist trust 

-  Agriculture:  important  sugar  cane  production,  which  can  be  used  as  a  biomass 

energy source 

-  Transport:  expansion  of  the  Roland  Garros  Airport  and  “Grand  Port  Maritime”  as 

strategic Indian Ocean hub (fourth largest French port) 

-  Energy: around 36% of generated electricity comes from renewable energy 

-  Digital: % of households with broadband access to the internet is almost the same as 

in France     

Challenges 

-  Demography: high rate of young people neither in employment nor in education and 

training (more than double of the French national average) 

-  Poverty  and  social  exclusion:  high  poverty  rate  (one  in  ten  people  live  under  the 

poverty threshold), well above the  double of the French national average 

-  Education:  high  early  school  leaving  (second  highest  in  French  outermost  regions, 
double of the French national average); share of population with less than secondary 
education is high (more than double of the French national average) 

-  Employment: high general and youth unemployment rate (both more than double of 

the French national average) 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Focus areas 

-  Basic needs: provision in particular of transport, water and waste management (e.g. 
through infrastructure, as needed); and develop natural disaster resistant infrastructure 

-  Poverty and social exclusion: support measures to reduce poverty and promote the 

social economy 

-  Education: strengthen measures to prevent early school leaving and promote access 

to upskilling and reskilling opportunities 

-  Employment: improve employability through training and mobility of students’ and 

teachers 

-  Economy: diversify the economy  

-  Tourism: diversify tourism and develop sustainable, nature-based tourism 

-  Agriculture: foster agricultural and agro-food research and innovation; promote and 

export local products; and enhance research in tropical bio-economy solutions 

-  Transport: further improve connectivity and accessibility 

-  Energy: increase the share of renewable energy use 

-  Digital: promote digital solutions and infrastructure 

-  Regional  cooperation:  further  co-operation  with  neighbouring  countries  and 

territories  

Earmarked EU funding 2021-20279 

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€1.033 billion 

€203 million 

€443 million 

€61 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 
share of 
€1.949 billion* 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
€337 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
share of €142 million* 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€489 million 

9  

*POSEI/EMFAF amount is divided amongst the French outermost regions. EAFRD amount extrapolated based on EAFRD amounts 
deducted for 2021-2022.  

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SAINT-MARTIN 

 At a glance  

  Located in the Caribbean in the same island as the overseas country 

and territory of Sint-Maarten 

  Fragile labour market, high share of the population without tertiary 

education and a high poverty rate 

  Approximately  50%  of  the  regional  population  aged  15  years  or 
older does not have a diploma or at most, a high school diploma 

  Exclusive maritime economic zone: 1 066 km2*** 

***11 691 000 km2 for France 

France 32.404 

GDP/capita 
(2014)

Saint-Martin  16.572 

Source: IEDOM, France 

Economic structure of Saint-Martin, % GDP, 2017

1%

4%

30%

65%

Agriculture 

Transport 

Public sector (non-market 
products) 

Tertiary sector 

Source: IEDOM, France 

Assets 

-  Strategic  location:  proximity  to  the  US,  South  America  and  other  Caribbean 
countries  and  territories;    located  in  the  same  island  as  Sint  Maarten  (an  Overseas 
Country and Territory of the Netherlands); and with a transport hub in the area 

-  Demography: most of its population speaks both English and French; and one third 

of total population is younger than 20 years 

-  Tourism: developed tourism industry (main sector of activity) with tourists from both 

EU and US 

24 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Challenges 

-  Reconstruction/infrastructure:  high  exposure  to  extreme  weather  events,  and  major 

challenges in terms of reconstruction of the island since the Irma hurricane in 2017 

-  Poverty  and  social  exclusion:  high  poverty  rate,  with  high  share  of  the  population 

relying on social support (around 60% versus 47% at French national level) 

-  Education: low rate of participation in education, with less than 25% of people aged 18-
24 in education (52% at French national level); and low education level (36 % of people 
aged 30-39 do not hold a degree, compared to15% at French national level) 

-  Employment:  very  high  unemployment  rate;  only  half  of  people  aged  15-64  indicates 

being in employment (French national average is 65%) 

-  Digital: insufficient internet access 

-  Migration: high share of irregular migration (estimated at one third of the population) 

Focus areas 

-  Basic  needs:  provision  of  education,  healthcare,  transport,  telecommunications,  water 
and  waste  management  (e.g.  through  infrastructure,  as  needed);  and  develop  natural 
disaster resistant infrastructure 

-  Employment: create opportunities for young people to prevent brain drain and facilitate 

the upskilling and integration in the labour market  

-  Economy:  further  diversify  the  economy;  facilitate  the  integration  of  the  informal 
economy  into  the  formal  economy;  and  develop  new  business  models  through 
digitalisation 

-  Tourism: diversify tourism, making it more sustainable 

-  Agriculture:  modernise  and  green  the  agriculture;  and  explore  scarce  resources  (e.g. 

land, water), while protecting biodiversity 

-  Regional cooperation: further co-operation with neighbouring countries and territories, 

strengthen cooperation between Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten 

Earmarked EU funding 2021-202710 

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€51 million 

€8 million 

€17 million 

€2.4 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 
share of 
€1.949 billion* 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
share of €155 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
share of €142 million* 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€43 million* 

10  

*POSEI/EMFAF amount is divided amongst the French outermost regions. EAFRD amount extrapolated based on EAFRD amounts 
deducted for 2021-2022 & shared with Guadeloupe. REACT-EU 2022 tranche extrapolated based on REACT-EU 2021 tranche. 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE AZORES 

At a glance  

  Gross Domestic Product/capita (PPP) stands at 67% 

of EU-average* 

  Unemployment rate is slightly below Portuguese and 

EU averages** 

  Rate of young people neither in employment nor in 
education and training (NEET)  is well above 
Portuguese and EU averages** 

  % of households with broadband access to the 

internet is higher in the Azores than in Portugal** 
  Exclusive maritime economic zone: 938 000 km2*** 

  *Source: Purchasing power standard (PPP, % of EU-27), Eurostat 2020   
     **Source: Eurostat 2020 ***1 700 000 km2 for Portugal  

12,8

12,6

10,1

Portugal

9

Azores

EU27

7,1

6,9

6,1

19,2

11,7

10,6

Azores

EU27

Portugal

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2016

2017

2018

2019

17,2

11,1

9,1

2020

Unemployment rate (%) (2015-2020) [Source: Eurostat] 

                Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET, %) (2016-2020) [Source: Eurostat] 

INDICATORS 

GDP 

Gross Domestic Product/capita (Purchasing Power Standard - % of EU-27) 
GDP/capita at current market prices (EUR)                                                                                              

Population                                                                                                                                    

Median age 2020  
Median age projections 2100  
Total population 2020   
Total population projections 2100 
Total population projections 2100 as a % total population 2020 

Unemployment 

Unemployment rate 15-74 (%) 
Employment rate 15-64 (%) 
Youth unemployment rate 15-24 (%)      
   Research 
HR in science & technology (% of active population)  

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS 

EU 
2020 
100 
29 900 
2020 
43.9 

The Azores 
2020 
67 
17 100 
2020 
40.2 

PT 
2020 
76 
19400 
2020 
45.5 
52.3 (+12.1 y)  49.5 (+4.0 y)  48.8 (+4.9 y) 
447.3 million 
10.3 million 
416 million 
7.9 million 
93% 
77% 
2020 
2020 
7.1 
6.9 
67.6 
69.0 
16.8 
22.6 
2020 
2020 
34.0 
31.0 

242 796 
152 550 
63% 
2020 
6.1 
65.6 
- 
2020 
23.0 

   Access to education 
Early leavers from education and training 18-24 (%) 
Young people neither in employment nor in education and training 15-24, 
NEET (%) 
Tertiary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
Less than primary/lower secondary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
   Access to ICT  
Individuals who used the Internet at least once a week (%) 
Households with broadband access to the internet (%) 
   Access to health  
Number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants  
Number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants 

2020 
27.0 
17.2 

15.8 
62.7 
2021 
78 
88 
2019 
355 
611 

2020 
8.9 
9.1 

28.2 
44.6 
2021 
80 
84 
2019 
532 
351 

2020 
9.9 
11.1 

32.8 
21.0 
2021 
- 
90  
2019 
391 
532 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Economic Structure of the Azores, % GDP, 2019

9%

11%

Agriculture, farming and forestry 

Industry and construction 

54%

26%

Commerce, accomodation and food service activities 

Services (financial, real estate, ICT,  
public administration, arts and culture) 

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Portugal) 

Assets 

-  Strategic location:  located in the mid-Atlantic between EU and the US  

-  Environment and biodiversity: geothermal potential; forests and natural vegetation 
covering one third of the territory; and high variety of endemic species and habitats 

-  Tourism: potential to develop sustainable tourism models and long-term stays  

-  Agriculture: strong agricultural sector; important dairy production; the only EU tea 

plantations; and ideal setting for testing sustainable farming  

-  Space: space centre in Santa Maria Island  

-  Research  and  innovation:  the  only  EU  region  surrounded  by  deep  sea  offering  a 

unique research potential and a very large exclusive economic maritime zone 

Challenges 

-  Demography: ageing; high youth emigration; and shrinking population 

-  Poverty and social exclusion:  high level of poverty (among the highest in Portugal) 

-  Education: very high rate of early school leaving (three times higher than Portuguese 
national average),  leading to high youth unemployment and a low level of skills 

-  Economy:  small  scale  economy;  SMEs’  limited  capacity  to  generate  (quality)  jobs 

and retain skilled workers; and undeclared temporary and low skilled work 

-  Transport: need to ensure regular, reliable and affordable (aerial/maritime) transport 

(between the islands of the archipelago and with e.g. Europe) 

-  Agriculture:  natural  constraints  (weather,  slopes,  altitude)  limit  the  use  of  land, 

increasing the cost of agricultural production 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                        
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Focus areas 

-  Vulnerable people: secure long-term care and living conditions for the elderly 

-  Education:  educational  and  school  retention  measures,  to  improve  education 
outcomes  and  reduce  the  number  of  young  people  neither  in  employment  nor  in 
education and training 

-  Environment and biodiversity: build climate resilience; further develop sustainable 

sectors such as eco-tourism; and protect endangered species 

-  Economy: strengthen regional economic fabric by improving competitiveness in the 

business sector and further diversify the economy 

-  Agriculture: increase farm holdings’ competitiveness and support the traditional and 

environmentally-sustainable agricultural systems and landscapes  

-  Transport: ensure regular and affordable transport (within the archipelago and to and 
from the region) and develop sustainable transport models for short inter-island travel 

-  Digital: invest in digital infrastructure and digital skills development; promote digital 

solutions (e.g. telemedicine to improve access to specialised healthcare) 

-  Research and innovation: develop further the Azores as a reference centre for deep 

sea research (e.g. foster research exchanges) and space innovation  

- 

International cooperation: explore international co-operation 

Earmarked EU funding 2021-202711 

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€632 million 

€58 million 

€431 million 

€19 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 
share of 
€743.5 million* 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
€285 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
share of €102 million* 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€128 million 

11  

*POSEI/EMFAF amount is divided amongst the Azores and Madeira. EAFRD amount based on 2023-2027 amounts and amounts deducted 
for 2021-2022.  

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MADEIRA 

At a glance  

  Gross Domestic Product/capita (PPP) stands at 69% of 

EU-average* 

  Unemployment rate is above Portuguese and EU 

averages** 

  % of households with broadband access to the internet is 

higher in Madeira than in Portugal** 

  Exclusive maritime economic zone: 442 248 km2*** 

*Source: Purchasing power standard (PPP, % of EU-27), Eurostat 2020 
**Source: Eurostat 2020 ***1 700 000 km2 for Portugal  

78

73

Madeira

Portugal

86

82

87

84

8,1

7,1

6,9

14,9

12,6

10,1

Madeira

Portugal

EU27

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Unemployment rate (%) (2015-2020) [Source: Eurostat]  

                                     Households with broadband access to the internet (%) (2016-2021) [Source: Eurostat] 

INDICATORS 

GDP 

Gross Domestic Product/capita (Purchasing Power Standard - % of EU-27) 
GDP/capita at current market prices (EUR)                                                                                              

Population                                                                                                                                    

Median age 2020  
Median age projections in 2100  
Total population 2020   
Projections total population in 2100 
Total population projections 2100 as a % total population 2020 

Unemployment 

Unemployment rate 15-74 (%) 
Employment rate 15-64 (%) 
Youth unemployment rate 15-24 (%)      

Research 

HR in science & technology (% of active population) 

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS 

Access to education 

Early leavers from education and training 18-24 (%) 
Young people neither in employment nor in education and training 15-24, 
NEET (%) 
Tertiary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
Less than primary/lower secondary education attainment 25-64 (%) 

Access to ICT  

Individuals who used the Internet at least once a week (%) 
Households with broadband access to the internet (%) 

Access to health  

Number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants  
Number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants 

     Madeira 
2020 
69 
17 600 
2020 
43.2 
52.8 (+9.6 y) 
254 254 
     151 245 
59% 
2020 
8.1 
65.1 
- 
2020 
25.3 

         PT 
2020 
76 
19 400 
2020 
45.5 
49.5 (+4.0 y) 
10.3 million 
  7.9 million 
77% 
2020 
6.9 
69.0 
22.6 
2020 
31.0 

2020 
- 
- 

22.9 
      53.6 
2021 
       82    

87 
2019 
442 
735 

2020 
8.9 
9.1 

28.2 
      44.6 
2021 

       80 
84 
2019 
532 
351 

EU 
2020 
100 
29 900 
2020 
43.9 
48.8 (+4.9 y) 
447.3 million 
416 million 
93% 
2020 
7.1 
67.6 
16.8 
2020 
34.0 

2020 
9.9 
11.1 

32.8 

       21 

2021 

          - 
90 
2019 
391 
532 

29 

 
 
          
 
 
  
      
    
 
 
 
 
    
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Economic structure of Madeira, % GDP, 2019

2%

12%

54%

32%

Agriculture, farming and forestry

Industry and construction

Commerce, accomodation and food service 
activities

Services (financial, real estate, ICT, public 
administration, arts and culture)

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Portugal) 

Assets 

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  mild  subtropical  climate;  rich  biodiversity,  with 

Europe’s largest marine protected area; and about 69% of the territory is forest 

-  Tourism:  important  tourism  sector  (first  sector  of  activity);  substantial  share  of 
international tourists; and suited for developing new sustainable tourism models and 
long-term stays  

-  Agriculture: important banana, wine and tropical fruit productions 

-  Digital:  higher  percentage  of  households  with  broadband  access  than  Portuguese 

national average  

Challenges 

-  Demography:  ageing  population;  high  youth  emigration  and  shrinking  population;  

lack of skilled workforce; and difficulties in retaining skilled workers 

-  Poverty  and  social  exclusion:  higher  poverty  rates  than  the  Portuguese  national 

average  

-  Education:  high  rate of  early school  leaving, leading to  high  youth unemployment, 
low  skilled  workforce,  and  limited  opportunities  for  pursuing  higher  education  and 
training  

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  land  abandonment,  a  threat  to  biodiversity  and  the 

environmental sustainability of the region 

-  Transport:  higher  price  of  air/maritime  transport  and  ensure  adequate  coverage  of 

aerial connectivity (linked with importance of tourism sector for Madeira) 

-  Agriculture: most farms are situated in areas with slopes leading to high production 
costs and intensive labour; and higher prices of agricultural factors of production 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Focus areas 

-  Education:  invest  further  in  education  and  training  (e.g.  reskilling  and  upskilling), 

making greater use of digital tools 

-  Employment: strengthen public services’ capacity to counsel jobseekers; pilot social 

inclusion initiatives (e.g. social benefit schemes);  

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  protect  biodiversity  and  build  climate  resilience  in 
areas  such  as  sustainable  mobility,  circular  economy,  renewable  energies  and  waste 
management  

-  Economy: further diversify the economy; strengthen the regional economic fabric by 
improving  business  competitiveness  and  resilience  (e.g.  through  business  advisory 
support services and training) 

-  Tourism: develop further sustainable tourism and nautical tourism (e.g. recreational 

boating, sailing, diving) 

-  Agriculture: support traditional and environmentally sustainable agricultural systems 

and landscapes 

-  Digital:  encourage  digitalisation  and  support  companies  providing  digital  services 

(e.g. business incubators, support digital skills development) 

-  Research  and  innovation:  strengthen  research  and  innovation  activities  by 
optimizing  regional  assets  (e.g.  marine  technologies,  renewable  energies  and  bio 
economy) and investing in regional smart specialization 

-  Regional  cooperation:  further  co-operation  with  neighbouring  countries  and 

territories  

Earmarked EU funding 2021-202712 

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€400 million 

€60 million 

€280 million 

€20 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 
share of 
€743.5 million* 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
€173 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
share of €102 million* 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€86 million 

12  

*POSEI/EMFAF amount is divided amongst the Azores and Madeira. EAFRD amount based on 2023-2027 amounts and amounts deducted 
for 2021-2022. 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE CANARY ISLANDS 

At a glance  

  Gross Domestic Product/capita (PPP) stands at 62% of EU-

average* 

  Unemployment and youth unemployment rates are well above 

 

Spanish and EU averages** 
Rate of young people neither in employment nor in education and 
training (NEET) is well above Spanish and EU averages** 
  % of households with broadband access to the internet is higher in 

the Canary Islands than in Spain** 
Exclusive maritime economic zone: 356 000 km2*** 

 

* Source: Purchasing power standard (PPP, % of EU-27), Eurostat 2020 
**Source: Eurostat 2020  

***1 039 233 km2 for Spain 

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Canary Islands

Spain

EU27

16

14,6

11,7

Canary Islands

Spain

EU27

19,7

13,9

11,1

2018

2019

2020

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

 Youth unemployment rate (%) (2018-2020) [Source: Eurostat]                          

Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET, %) (2016-20)   
[Source: Eurostat] 

INDICATORS 

GDP 

Gross Domestic Product/capita (Purchasing Power Standard - % of EU-27) 
GDP/capita at current market prices (EUR)                                                                                              

Population                                                                                                                                    

Median age 2020  
Median age projections 2100  
Total population 2020   
Total population projections 2100 
Total population projections 2100 as a % total population 2020 

Unemployment 

Unemployment rate 15-74 (%) 
Employment rate 15-64 (%) 
Youth unemployment rate 15-24 (%)      
   Research 
HR in science & technology (% of active population) 

Canarias 
2020 
62 
17 400 
2020 
44.0 
54.4 (+10.4 y) 
2 236 992 
2 508 671 
112% 
2020 
22.6 
53.1 
51.6 
2020 
20.5 

Spain 
2020 
84 
23 700 
2020 
44.3 
50.2 (+5.9 y) 
47.3 million 
45.7 million 
97% 
2020 
15.5 
60.9 
38.3 
2020 
26.3 

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS 
   Access to education 
Early leavers from education and training 18-24 (%) 
Young people neither in employment nor in education and training 15-24, 
NEET (%) 
Tertiary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
Less than primary/lower secondary education attainment 25-64 (%) 
   Access to ICT  
Individuals who used the Internet at least once a week (%) 
Households with broadband access to the internet (%) 
   Access to health  
Number of medical doctors per 100 000 inhabitants  
Number of hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants 

2020 
18.2 
19.7 

34.4 
39.5 
2021 

        92 
97 
2019 
394 
291 

2020 
16.0 
13.9 

39.7 
37.1 
2021 

        92 
96 
2019 
440 
295 

EU 
2020 
100 
29 900 
2020 
43.9 
48.8 (+4.9 y) 
447.3 million 
416 million 
93% 
2020 
7.1 
67.6 
16.8 
2020 
     34.0 

2020 
9.9 
11.1 

32.8 
21.0 
      2021 
         - 
90 
2019 
391 
532 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
             
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Economic Structure of the Canary Islands, % GDP, 2020

2% 6%

9%

6%

77%

Agriculture, farming and forestry

Construction

Net taxes on products

Industry

Services

                                                                       Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain) / GDP at current market prices: €39.163 million in 2020 

Assets 

-  Environment  and  biodiversity:  rich  ecological  diversity  with  unusual  contrast  of 

natural landscapes (e.g. forests, deserts and volcanos) 

-  Tourism: important and well-developed tourism sector (the second largest in Spain) 

-  Agriculture: important production of tropical fruits, vegetables and rum 

-  Blue economy: a marine and maritime sector with major development opportunities, 
including the Oceanic Platform PLOCAN that supports marine research, development 
and innovation 

-  Energy: el Hierro island as a role model for a high degree of energy self-sufficiency 

from renewable sources 

-  Space:  suitable  location  and  infrastructure  for  astronomical  observation,  with  the 

Observatories of the Astrophysics Institute 

Challenges 

-  Poverty  and  social  exclusion:  proportion  of  the  population  at  risk  of  poverty  or 

social exclusion is very high compared to the Spanish national average 

-  Employment: particularly high unemployment and youth unemployment rates (both 
much higher than the Spanish national average, and over three times higher than the 
EU average) 

-  Economy:  high  dependence  on  the  tourism  sector  (35%  of  the  GDP);  economic 

diversification remains challenging 

-  Tourism: most negatively impacted sector of the COVID-19 crisis 

-  Migration: important migration and security challenges, with over 22,000 arrivals to 

the Canary Islands in 2021 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Focus areas 

-  Employment:  invest  in  employment  and  training  opportunities  in  particular  for 

young people to improve employability 

-  Economy: further diversify the economy, focusing on assets such as blue economy, 

renewable energy and tourism  

-  Tourism:  invest  in  transition  towards  sustainable  and  quality  tourism,  further 

strengthening the sector and protecting natural spaces and biodiversity 

-  Agriculture:  enhance the viability  and competitiveness  of the agriculture sector, by 
promoting innovative farm technologies and the sustainable management of forests 

-  Energy:  test  schemes  to  produce  renewable  energy  and  reduce  dependency  (e.g.  in 

social housing) and seize opportunities to invest in clean energy 

Transport: test and develop sustainable transport models for short inter-island travel 

-  Research  and  innovation:  promote  research  and  innovation  for  space,  marine  and 

maritime sectors 

-  Regional  cooperation:  further  co-operation  with  neighbouring  countries  and 

territories  

-  Migration: strengthen capacity to manage migration and integrate migrants 

Earmarked EU funding 2021-202713  

European Regional 
Development Fund 
ERDF 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ERDF 

European Social Fund 
Plus 
ESF+ 

Specific Additional 
Allocation 
ESF+ 

€1.430 billion 

€507 million 

€682 million 

€166 million 

Special Agricultural 
Programme 
POSEI 

€1.879 billion 

European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural 
Development 
EAFRD 
€148 million* 

European Maritime 
Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Fund 
EMFAF 
€88 million 

Recovery Assistance 
for Cohesion and the 
Territories of Europe 
REACT-EU 
€630 million 

13  

*EAFRD based on 2023-2027 amounts and amounts deducted for 2021-2022. 

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. End notes 

Sources of imports/exports on page 4 of SWD 

French Guiana : https://www.iedom.fr/IMG/pdf/paysage_-_annexes_-_guyane_1t21.pdf  

Guadeloupe : https://www.cerom-outremer.fr/IMG/pdf/tdb_cerom_guadeloupe_2021t1.pdf 

Martinique : https://www.cerom-outremer.fr/IMG/pdf/tableau_cerom_martinique_2021_t1.pdf 

Mayotte: https://www.cerom-outremer.fr/IMG/pdf/tdb_cerom_iedom_mayotte_1t21.pdf 

Réunion : https://www.cerom-outremer.fr/IMG/pdf/tdb_cerom_reunion_juin_2021.pdf 

The Canary Islands: http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/istac/jaxi-istac/tabla.do?uripx=urn:uuid:359ddbe4-
e565-49cc-80ae-e099d64734ee&uripub=urn:uuid:a19805e5-1674-4efd-b047-1ab0abac9c36 

Madeira: https://estatistica.madeira.gov.pt/download-now/multitematicas-pt/multitematicas-mn-
pt/multitematicas-mn-publicacoes-pt/send/34-madeira-em-numeros-publicacoes/14290-madeira-em-numeros-
2020.html 

The Azores: 
https://srea.azores.gov.pt/Conteudos/relatorios/lista_relatorios.aspx?idc=392&idsc=552&lang_id=1 

35