Introduction
Background
A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority communities came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued, forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot administered area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. An UN-mediated agreement, the Annan Plan, failed to win approval by both communities in 2004. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The most recent round of negotiations to reunify the island were suspended in July 2017 after failure to achieve a breakthrough. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the "TRNC." However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of EU states.
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Geography
Location
Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey; note - Cyprus views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both
Geographic coordinates
35 00 N, 33 00 E
Map references
Middle East
Area
total: 9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)
land: 9,241 sq km
water: 10 sq km
comparison ranking: total 169
Land boundaries
total: 156 km
border sovereign base areas: Akrotiri 48 km; Dhekelia 108 km
Coastline
648 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Terrain
central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast
Elevation
highest point: Mount Olympus 1,951 m
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 91 m
Natural resources
copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
Land use
agricultural land: 13.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 3.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.)
forest: 18.8% (2018 est.)
other: 67.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
268 sq km (2020)
Population distribution
population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca
Natural hazards
moderate earthquake activity; droughts
Geography - note
the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia); several small Cypriot enclaves exist within the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Cypriot(s)
adjective: Cypriot
Ethnic groups
Greek 98.8%, other 1% (includes Maronite, Armenian, Turkish-Cypriot), unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)
note: data represent only the Greek-Cypriot citizens in the Republic of Cyprus
Languages
Greek (official) 80.9%, Turkish (official) 0.2%, English 4.1%, Romanian 2.9%, Russian 2.5%, Bulgarian 2.2%, Arabic 1.2%, Filipino 1.1%, other 4.3%, unspecified 0.6%; note - data represent only the Republic of Cyprus (2011 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Eastern Orthodox Christian 89.1%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Protestant/Anglican 2%, Muslim 1.8%, Buddhist 1%, other (includes Maronite Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Hindu) 1.4%, unknown 1.1%, none/atheist 0.6% (2011 est.)
note: data represent only the government-controlled area of Cyprus
Age structure
0-14 years: 15.63% (male 104,950/female 99,515)
15-64 years: 70.36% (male 484,087/female 436,271)
65 years and over: 14.01% (2023 est.) (male 79,897/female 103,400)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 43.8
youth dependency ratio: 23
elderly dependency ratio: 20.8
potential support ratio: 4.8 (2021 est.)
note: data represent the whole country
Median age
total: 39.1 years (2023 est.)
male: 37.9 years
female: 40.6 years
comparison ranking: total 65
Population distribution
population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca
Urbanization
urban population: 67% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.76% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
269,000 NICOSIA (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
30 years (2020 est.)
note: data represents only government-controlled areas
Infant mortality rate
total: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 144
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 80 years (2023 est.)
male: 77.2 years
female: 82.9 years
comparison ranking: total population 53
Gross reproduction rate
0.72 (2023 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 99.7% of population
rural: 99.8% of population
total: 99.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population
rural: 0.2% of population
total: 0.2% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
8.1% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
3.14 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Hospital bed density
3.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 99.7% of population
rural: 98.8% of population
total: 99.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population
rural: 1.2% of population
total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 9.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 2.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 2.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 4.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 26
Tobacco use
total: 35.1% (2020 est.)
male: 47% (2020 est.)
female: 23.2% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 14
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
54.5% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.2% (2021)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 16 years (2020)
People - note
demographic data for Cyprus represent the population of the government-controlled area and the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, unless otherwise indicated
Environment
Environment - current issues
water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage, industrial wastes, and pesticides; coastal degradation; erosion; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization
Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Land use
agricultural land: 13.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 3.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.)
forest: 18.8% (2018 est.)
other: 67.8% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 67% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.76% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 14.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 6.63 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.86 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 541,000 tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 72,007 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 13.3% (2015 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 170 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
780 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus
conventional short form: Cyprus
local long form: Kypriaki Dimokratia (Greek)/ Kibris Cumhuriyeti (Turkish)
local short form: Kypros (Greek)/ Kibris (Turkish)
etymology: the derivation of the name "Cyprus" is unknown, but the extensive mining of copper metal on the island in antiquity gave rise to the Latin word "cuprum" for copper
note: the Turkish Cypriot community, which administers the northern part of the island, refers to itself as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" or "TRNC" ("Kuzey Kibris Turk Cumhuriyeti" or "KKTC")
Government type
Republic of Cyprus - presidential republic; self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC) - parliamentary republic with enhanced presidency
note: a separation of the two main ethnic communities inhabiting the island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified when a Greek military-junta-supported coup attempt prompted the Turkish military intervention in July 1974 that gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government on the island; on 15 November 1983, then Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTAS declared independence and the formation of the "TRNC,” which is recognized only by Turkey
Capital
name: Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa)
geographic coordinates: 35 10 N, 33 22 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: a mispronunciation of the city's Greek name Lefkosia and its Turkish name Lefkosa, both of which mean "White City"; the Greek name may derive from the Greek phrase "leuke ousia" ("white estate")
Administrative divisions
6 districts; Ammochostos (Famagusta; all but a small part located in the Turkish Cypriot community), Keryneia (Kyrenia; the only district located entirely in the Turkish Cypriot community), Larnaka (Larnaca; with a small part located in the Turkish Cypriot community), Lefkosia (Nicosia; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Lemesos (Limassol), Pafos (Paphos); note - the 5 "districts" of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" are Gazimagusa (Famagusta), Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou), Iskele (Trikomo), Lefkosa (Nicosia)
Independence
16 August 1960 (from the UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these proclamations are recognized only by Turkey
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots celebrate 15 November (1983) as "Republic Day"
Constitution
history: ratified 16 August 1960; note - in 1963, the constitution was partly suspended as Turkish Cypriots withdrew from the government; Turkish-held territory in 1983 was declared the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"); in 1985, the "TRNC" approved its own constitution
amendments: constitution of the Republic of Cyprus - proposed by the House of Representatives; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership of the "Greek Community" and the "Turkish Community"; however, all seats of Turkish Cypriot members have remained vacant since 1964; amended many times, last in 2020;
constitution of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” - proposed by at least 10 members of the "Assembly of the Republic"; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total Assembly membership and approval by referendum; amended 2014
Legal system
mixed legal system of English common law and civil law with European law supremacy
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cyprus
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (since 28 February 2023); the president is both chief of state and head of government; note - vice presidency reserved for a Turkish Cypriot, but vacant since 1974 because Turkish Cypriots do not participate in the Republic of Cyprus Government
head of government: President Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (since 28 February 2023)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - under the 1960 constitution, 3 of the ministerial posts reserved for Turkish Cypriots, appointed by the vice president; positions currently filled by Greek Cypriots
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms); election last held on held 5 February 2023 with a runoff on 12 February 2023 (next to be held in 2028)
election results:
2023: Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (independent) 32%, Andreas MAVROGIIANNIS (independent) 29.6%, Averof NEOFYTOU (DISY) 26.1%, Christos CHRISTOU (ELAM) 6%, other 6.3%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos CHRISTODOULIDS 52%, Andreas MAVROGIANNIS 48%
2018: Nikos ANASTASIADIS reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS (DISY) 35.5%, Stavros MALAS (AKEL) 30.2%, Nicolas PAPADOPOULOS (DIKO) 25.7%, other 8.6%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS 56%, Stavros MALAS 44%
note: the first round of the TRNC presidential election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020, was postponed to 11 October 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the second round was held on 18 October 2020; percent of vote in the first round - Ersin TATAR (UBP) 32.4%, Mustafa AKINCI (independent) 29.8%, Tufan ERHURMAN (RTP) 21.7%, Kudret OZERSAY (independent) 5.7%, Erhan ARIKLI (YDP) 5.4%, Serdar DENKTAS (independent) 4.2%, other 0.8%; percent of vote in the second round - Ersin TATAR 51.7%, Mustafa AKINCI 48.3%
Legislative branch
description: area under government control: unicameral House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots, but only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members directly elected by both proportional representation and preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms; note - 3 seats each are reserved for the Latin, Maronite, and Armenian religious groups;
area administered by Turkish Cypriots: unicameral "Assembly of the Republic" or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote using a hybrid d'Hondt method with voter preference for individual candidates
elections: area under government control; last held on 30 May 2021 (next to be held in 2026); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last held on 23 January 2022 (next to be held in 2027)
election results: area under government control: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - DISY 27.8%, AKEL 22.3%, DIKO 11.3%, ELAM 6.8%, EDEK-SP 6.7%, DIPA 6.1%, Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation 4.4%, other 14.6%; seats by party/coalition - DISY 17, AKEL 15, DIKO 9, ELAM 4, EDEK-SP 4, DIPA 4, Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation 3; composition - men 48, women 8, percent of women 14.3%; area administered by Turkish Cypriots - "Assembly of the Republic" - percent of vote by party - UBP 39.5%, CTP 32%, DP 7.4%, HP 6.7%, YDP 6.4%, other 8%; seats by party - UBP 24, CTP 18, DP 3, HP 3, YDP 2; composition NA
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cyprus (consists of 13 judges, including the court president); note - the highest court in the "TRNC" is the "Supreme Court" (consists of 8 "judges," including the "court president")
judge selection and term of office: Republic of Cyprus Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Supreme Court judges; judges can serve until age 68; "TRNC Supreme Court" judges appointed by the "Supreme Council of Judicature," a 12-member body of judges, the attorney general, appointees by the president of the "TRNC," and by the "Legislative Assembly," and members elected by the bar association; judge tenure NA
subordinate courts: Republic of Cyprus district courts; Assize Courts; Administrative Court; specialized courts for issues relating to family, industrial disputes, the military, and rent control; "TRNC Assize Courts"; "district and family courts"
Political parties and leaders
area under government control:
Citizens' Alliance or SP [Giorgos LILLIKAS] (dissolved 2 December 2021)
Democratic Front or DIPA [Marios GAROYIAN]
Democratic Party or DIKO [Nikolas PAPADOPOULOS]
Democratic Rally or DISY [Annita DIMITRIOU]
Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Alliance [Charalambos THEOPEMPTOU]
Movement of Social Democrats EDEK [Marinos SIZOPOULOS]
National Popular Front or ELAM [Christos CHRISTOU]
Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Stefanos STEFANOU]
Solidarity Movement [Eleni THEOCHAROUS]
area administered by Turkish Cypriots:
Communal Democracy Party or TDP [Mine ATLI]
Communal Liberation Party - New Forces or TKP-YG [Mehmet CAKICI]
Cyprus Socialist Party or KSP [Mehmet BIRINCI]
Democratic Party or DP [Fikri ATAOGLU]
National Democratic Party or NDP [Buray BUSKUVUTCU]
National Unity Party or UBP [Faiz SUCUOGLU]
New Cyprus Party or YKP [Murat KANATLI]
People's Party or HP [Kudret OZERSAY]
Rebirth Party or YDP [Erhan ARIKLI]
Republican Turkish Party or CTP [Tufan ERHURMAN]
United Cyprus Party or BKP [Izzet IZCAN]
International organization participation
Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Evangelos SAVVA (since 15 September 2023)
chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 462-5772
FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710
email address and website:
info@cyprusembassy.net
https://www.cyprusembassy.net/
consulate(s) general: New York
honorary consulate(s): Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Kirkland (WA), Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco
note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Mustafa LAKADAMYALI; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Julie D. FISHER (since 21 February 2023)
embassy: Metochiou and Ploutarchou Street, 2407, Engomi, Nicosia
mailing address: 5450 Nicosia Place, Washington DC 20521-5450
telephone: [357] (22) 393939
FAX: [357] (22) 780944
email address and website:
ACSNicosia@state.gov
https://cy.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
centered on a white field is a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the island has long been famous for its copper deposits) above two olive-green-colored, crossed olive branches; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities
note: one of only two national flags that uses a map as a design element; the flag of Kosovo is the other
note: the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag retains the white field of the Cyprus national flag but displays narrow horizontal red stripes positioned a small distance from the top and bottom edges between which are centered a red crescent and a red five-pointed star; the banner is modeled after the Turkish national flag but with the colors reversed
National symbol(s)
Cypriot mouflon (wild sheep), white dove; national colors: blue, white
National anthem
name: "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)
lyrics/music: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS
note: adopted 1960; Cyprus adopted the Greek national anthem as its own; the Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus uses the anthem of Turkey
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 3 (all cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Paphos; Painted Churches in the Troodos Region; Choirokoitia
Economy
Economic overview
services-based, high-income EU island economy; heavy tourism; sustained growth between recovery of national banking system and COVID-19 trade restrictions; high living standards; a known financial hub, its stock exchange functions as an investment bridge between EU-and EEU-member countries
note: Even though the whole of the island is part of the EU, implementation of the EU "acquis communautaire" has been suspended in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, known locally as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, until political conditions permit the reunification of the island. Its market-based economy is roughly one-fifth the size of its southern neighbor and is likewise dominated by the service sector with a large portion of the population employed by the government. Manufacturing is limited mainly to food and beverages, furniture and fixtures, construction materials, metal and non-metal products, textiles and clothing. Little trade exists with the Republic of Cyprus outside of construction, historically relying heavily upon Turkey for financial aid, defense, telecommunications, utilities, and postal services. The Turkish Lira is the preferred currency, though foreign currencies are widely accepted in business transactions.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$37.546 billion (2021 est.)
$35.209 billion (2020 est.)
$36.819 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - $1.829 billion (2007 est.)
comparison ranking: 128
Real GDP growth rate
6.64% (2021 est.)
-4.37% (2020 est.)
5.53% (2019 est.)
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - -16.2% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: 65
Real GDP per capita
$41,700 (2021 est.)
$39,500 (2020 est.)
$41,700 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - $11,700 (2007 est.)
comparison ranking: 46
GDP (official exchange rate)
$24.946 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.45% (2021 est.)
-0.64% (2020 est.)
0.25% (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 138
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: BBB- (2018)
Moody's rating: Ba2 (2018)
Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2018)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 2% (2017 est.)
industry: 12.5% (2017 est.)
services: 85.5% (2017 est.)
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - agriculture: 6.2%,; industry: 35.1%,; services: 58.7% (2012 est.)
comparison rankings: services 19; industry 198; agriculture 174
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 68.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 14.9% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.7% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 63.8% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -67.8% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
milk, potatoes, pork, sheep milk, goat milk, barley, wheat, poultry, olives, tangerines/mandarins
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - citrus fruit, dairy, potatoes, grapes, olives, poultry, lamb
Industries
tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone and clay products
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, ship repair, clay, gypsum, copper, furniture
Industrial production growth rate
8.1% (2021 est.)
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - -0.3% (2007 est.)
comparison ranking: 51
Labor force
655,100 (2021 est.)
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - 95,030 (2007 est.)
comparison ranking: 156
Unemployment rate
6.13% (2021 est.)
7.59% (2020 est.)
7.07% (2019 est.)
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - 9.4% (2005 est.)
comparison ranking: 127
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 11.8% (2021 est.)
male: 9.2%
female: 14.9%
comparison ranking: total 138
Population below poverty line
14.7% (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 28.8% (2014)
Budget
revenues: $10.362 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $9.996 billion (2019 est.)
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - revenues: $2.5 billion; expenditures: $2.5 billion (est. 2006)
Public debt
97.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
106.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment
comparison ranking: 28
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$1.957 billion (2021 est.)
-$2.523 billion (2020 est.)
-$1.445 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 156
Exports
$24.551 billion (2021 est.)
$20.379 billion (2020 est.)
$19.835 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - $68.1 million (est. 2007)
comparison ranking: 80
Exports - partners
India 9%, Greece 9%, Libya 8%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)
Exports - commodities
ships, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, cheese, recreational boats (2021)
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - citrus, dairy, potatoes, textiles
Imports
$23.748 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$20.711 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$19.575 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - $1.2 billion (est. 2007)
comparison ranking: 83
Imports - partners
Greece 16%, Italy 10%, Turkey 8%, Russia 5%, Germany 5%, United Kingdom 5%, China 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, ships, cars, coal tar oil, packaged medicines (2019)
note: area administered by Turkish Cypriots - vehicles, fuel, cigarettes, food, minerals, chemicals, machinery
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.611 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$1.237 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$1.033 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 135
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
0.885 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 1.881 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 4.733 billion kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 184 million kWh (2019 est.)
note: electricity production in area administered by Turkish Cypriots - 998.9 million kWh (est. 2005)
note: electricity consumption in area administered by Turkish Cypriots - 797.9 million kWh (est. 2005)
comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 121; transmission/distribution losses 148; imports 176; exports 167; consumption 127
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 86.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 6.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 5.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 54,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
8.024 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 8.024 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 113
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 304,581 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 108
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 1,320,794 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 149 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 161
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: Cyprus suffered from the effects of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, when the tourism sector was essentially closed; during 2022, there were adverse effects caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in a dramatic drop in the number of Russian tourists entering the country; the mobile market is served by four mobile network operators; the number of mobile subscribers fell in 2020, largely the result of subscribers scaling back on multiple SIM cards as an economic measure; the broadband market continues to develop steadily, providing the country with one of the highest broadband penetration rates in the region; DSL remains the dominant access platform, accounting for about two-thirds of fixed broadband connections; although fiber infrastructure in Cyprus is minimal (supported by the government and regulator) to extend an FttP service to about 200,000 premises; as a result, the number of DSL subscribers is set to fall steadily in coming years as customers are migrated to the fiber platform (2023)
domestic: fixed-line about 34 per 100 and about 149 per 100 for mobile-cellular teledensity (2021)
international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); a number of submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, CADMOS, MedNautilus Submarine System, POSEIDON, TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/Alexandros/Medes, UGARIT, Aphrodite2, Hawk, Lev Submarine System, and Tamares combine to provide connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Southeast Asia; Turcyos-1 and Turcyos-2 submarine cable in Turkish North Cyprus link to Turkey; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat) (2019)
Broadcast media
mixture of state and privately run TV and radio services; the public broadcaster operates 2 TV channels and 4 radio stations; 6 private TV broadcasters, satellite and cable TV services including telecasts from Greece and Turkey, and a number of private radio stations are available; in areas administered by Turkish Cypriots, there are 2 public TV stations, 4 public radio stations, and 7 privately owned TV and 21 radio broadcast stations plus 6 radio and 4 TV channels of local universities, plus 1 radio station of military, security forces and 1 radio station of civil defense cooperation, as well as relay stations from Turkey (2019)
Internet users
total: 809,900 (2021 est.)
percent of population: 91% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 154
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 332,080 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 103
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 401,408 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 20,000 (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
13
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
2
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports
9 (2021)
Roadways
total: 12,901 km (2016)
government control: 12,901 km (2016) (includes 272 km of expressways)
paved: 8,631 km (2016)
unpaved: 4,270 km (2016)
Turkish Cypriot control: 7,000 km (2011)
comparison ranking: total 128
Merchant marine
total: 1,030 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 255, container ship 169, general cargo 200, oil tanker 61, other 345
comparison ranking: total 24
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): area under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos
area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Famagusta, Kyrenia
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot National Guard (Ethniki Froura, EF; includes Army Land Forces, Naval Command, Air Command) (2023)
Military expenditures
2% of GDP (2022 est.)
2% of GDP (2021)
1.8% of GDP (2020)
1.6% of GDP (2019)
1.8% of GDP (2018)
comparison ranking: 61
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 15,000 total active-duty personnel (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the military's inventory is a mix of mostly Soviet-era weapons and equipment along with some more modern systems from several countries, including France, Israel, Russia, and Serbia (2023)
Military service age and obligation
Cypriot National Guard (CNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; 14-month service obligation (2023)
note: the CNG accepts all foreign nationals of at least partial Cypriot descent under age 32 as volunteers; dual citizenship Cypriot origin citizens, who were born in Cyprus or abroad, have the obligation to serve in the CNG on repatriation, regardless of whether or not they possess a foreign citizenship; a person is considered as having Cypriot origin where a grandparent or parent was/is a Cypriot citizen
Military - note
established in 1964, the National Guard (EF) is responsible for ensuring Cyprus’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; its primary focus is Turkey, which invaded Cyprus in 1974 and maintains a large military presence in the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; the EF also participates in some internal missions, such as providing assistance during natural disasters; Greece is its main security partner and maintains about 1,000 troops on Cyprus; the EF has conducted training exercises with other militaries including France, Israel, and the US; since Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, the EF has actively participated in the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy and has sent small numbers of personnel to some EU and missions; Cyprus is also part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
the EF, particularly the Army, would rely heavily on the mobilization of approximately 50,000 available reserves during a crisis; the majority of the active Army is deployed along the “Green Line” that separates the Greek Cypriots from the Turkish Cypriots; its principal combat forces are five infantry brigades, an armored brigade, and regiments of artillery, light infantry, and special forces; the Navy has a small number of coastal patrol craft and boats, as well as a special operations unit, while the Air Force has a few combat helicopters and ground-based air defense units (2023)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the EU still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north; has had maritime/economic exclusion zone disputes with Turkey, particularly over energy exploration
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 10,869 (Syria) (mid-year 2022); 18,230 (Ukraine) (as of 12 November 2023)
IDPs: 246,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced since 1974) (2022)
stateless persons: 74 (2022)
note: 55,098 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)
Illicit drugs
the ROC financial system is vulnerable to money laundering by domestic and foreign criminals; proceeds generated by illicit activity abroad pose a greater threat; primary sources of illicit proceeds are investment fraud, corruption, advance fee fraud, tax evasion, illegal drugs, and tobacco smuggling. Additionally, cybercrime, especially phishing, e-mail hacking, and ransomware use, continues to increase. Criminals have reportedly used ROC banks to launder proceeds, particularly from Russian and Ukrainian illicit activity.