Demographics of Cyprus

The people of Cyprus are broadly divided into two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, who share many cultural traits but maintain distinct identities based on ethnicity, religion, language, and close ties with Greece and Turkey respectively. Before the dispute started in 1964 the peoples of Cyprus (then 77.1% Greek Cypriots, 18.2% Turkish Cypriots, <5% other communities, primarily Armenians, Maronites, and other Lebanese) were dispersed over the entire island.

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 de facto partitioned the island into two political areas: 99.5% of Greek Cypriots now live in the south part of the Republic of Cyprus while 98.7% of Turkish Cypriots live in northern areas. (99.2% of other nationalities live in the Greek Cypriot areas in the center, west, east and south). Greek and Cypriot dialect are predominantly spoken in the east, west, south and centre, where the majority are Greek Cypriots, and Turkish Cypriot Dialect in the north, where the majority are Turkish Cypriots. English is widely used throughout the island, as a common language.

The total population of Cyprus as of the end of 2006 was slightly over 1 million, comprising 789,300 in the territory controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus and 294,406 in the northern areas of Cyprus. The population of the northern areas of Cyprus has increased following the immigration of 150,000–160,000 Turkish mainlanders, which the UN confirmed to have arrived illegally. On this basis, the Republic of Cyprus government does not include this group in the population statistics of the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service.

Population

923,381 in Republic of Cyprus controlled area (2021 census)

476,214 in Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus (2023 population estimate).

Population by citizenship

Republic of Cyprus government controlled area:

1992 census: 95.8% Cypriot, 4.2% Non-Cypriot

2001 census: 90.6% Cypriot, 9.4% Non-Cypriot

2011 census: 78.6% Cypriot, 21.4% Non-Cypriot (preliminary)

2021 census: 77.9% Cypriot, 21.7% non-Cypriot

northern areas of Cyprus:

2006 census (de facto population): 66.7% NC, 29.3% Turkey, 4.0% other

Vital statistics

Cyprus (1901–2015)

Historical data about main demographic indicators from 1901 to 1989, for the entire island:

1 The numbers of births and deaths 1901–1932 are estimates calculated from the birth and death rates.

Area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus

• Population map of Southern Cyprus, with number of resident per district, expressed by color gradient.
• Population density map of Southern Cyprus, with residents per km² (2001 census), expressed by color gradient.

Historical data about main demographic indicators from 1990 to 2022, for the southern part of the island:

Notable events in Cyprus demographics:

• 1974 – Turkish invasion of Cyprus
• 2012–2013 Cypriot financial crisis

Current vital statistics

Life expectancy

Source: UN World Population Prospects

Structure of the population

Historical population

Turkish Cypriots were the majority of the population registered for taxation between 1777 and 1800. However, it is likely that the Muslim population never exceeded 35-40 per cent of the total population of Cyprus. Rather, many Orthodox Christians registered as Muslims in order to reduce taxation from the government.

In the census from 1881 to 1960, all Muslims are counted as Turks, only Greek Orthodox are counted as Greeks. There were small populations of Greek-speaking Muslims and Turkish-speaking Greek Orthodox.

In total, between 1955 and 1973, 16,519 Turks and 71,036 Greeks emigrated from the country. Of the emigrated Turkish Cypriots in this period, only 290 went to Turkey. In the 2011 census, 208 people stated their ethnic origin as being Latin.

Fertility

In 2020, 39% of children born in Cyprus were to mothers of foreign origin, both from non-EU countries and from other EU member states.

Immigration

Large-scale demographic changes have been caused since 1964 by the movements of peoples across the island and the later influx of settlers from Turkey to northern Cyprus. According to the 2011 Census there are 170,383 non-citizens living in Cyprus, of whom 106,270 are EU citizens and 64,113 are from third countries. The largest EU groups by nationality are Greeks (29,321), Romanians (23,706) and Bulgarians (18,536). The largest non-EU groups are British (24,046), Filipinos (9,413), Russians (8,164), Sri Lankans (7,269) and Vietnamese (7,028). There are an estimated 20–25,000 undocumented migrants from third countries also living in the Republic, though migrant rights groups dispute these figures. The demographic changes in society have led to some racist incidents, and the formation of the charity KISA in response.

The demographic character of northern Cyprus changed after the Turkish invasion in 1974 and especially during the last 10–15 years. TRNC census carried out in April 2006 showed that out of a total population of 256,644 in northern Cyprus, 132,635, or 52%, were Turkish Cypriots in the sense that they were born in Cyprus of at least one Cyprus-born parent (for 120,007 of these both parents were Cyprus-born). In addition, 43,062 so called TRNC citizens (17%) had at least one non-Cypriot Turkish-born parent, 2,334 so called TRNC citizens (1%) had parents born in other countries, 70,525 residents (27%) had Turkish citizenship, and 8,088 (3%) were citizens of other countries (mainly UK, Bulgaria, and Iran).

Based on these census data, it is estimated that 113,687 northern Cyprus residents, or 44% of the population, are not Turkish Cypriots properly speaking, but are in fact "Turkish immigrants" or "Turkish settlers" from Anatolia. Alternative sources suggest that the Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus are today outnumbered by the Turkish settlers, contrary to the picture presented by the 2006 so called TRNC census.

Settlement in northern Cyprus, especially if accompanied by naturalization, is in violation of article 49 of the Geneva Conventions Protocol of 1977, since the Turkish occupation has been declared illegal by the UN. The UN General Assembly have stated the settlement of Turkish mainlanders, "constitute[s] a form of colonialism and attempt to change illegally the demographic structure of Cyprus". The Republic of Cyprus considers these Turkish immigrants to be "illegal settlers" and does not include them in the population estimates for the entire island published by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service.

Emigration

Net migration

Nationality group

According to the 2021 census, 74.6% of the population in the area under the control of the Republic of Cyprus were born in Cyprus, with 77.9% holding Cypriot citizenship.

Note that citizenship and place of birth do not fully correlate. For example, 27,986 people living in areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus were born in the United Kingdom, but only 18,918 are registered as having British citizenship.

The national identities of citizens in the area under the control of the Republic of Cyprus, according to the 2011 census are:

• 98.8%: Cypriot Greek
• 1%: other, including Maronite, Other Lebanese, Armenian, Turkish Cypriot
• 0.2%: unspecified

Languages

Greek and Turkish are the official languages according to Article 3 of the Constitution of Cyprus. In Northern Cyprus, the official language is Turkish (Article 2 of the 1983 Constitution of Northern Cyprus). English is widely spoken on the island.

Religion

The Greek Cypriot community adheres to the Autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot community adheres to Islam. The religious groups of Armenians, Maronites and Latins (about 9,000 people in total) opted, in accordance with the 1960 constitution, to belong to the Greek Cypriot community.

The 2011 census of the government-controlled area notes that 89.1% of the population follows Greek Orthodox Christianity, 2.9% are Roman Catholic, 2% are Protestants, 1.8% are Muslims and 1% are Buddhists; Maronite Catholics, Armenian Orthodox, Jewish, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Baha’is make up the remainder. Cyprus is also the home of 6,000 Jewish people who have a Synagogue in Larnaca.

Education

Cyprus has a well-developed system of primary and secondary education. The majority of Cypriots earn their higher education at Greek, British, or American universities, while there are also sizeable emigrant communities in the United Kingdom and Australia. Private colleges and state-supported universities have been developed by both the Turkish and Greek communities.

Demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

The data in subsections Age structure through Divorce rate are for the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus government only. The estimates are for 2007 from the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Abstract 2007 (pp. 63–88) unless indicated otherwise.

Population ageing

Cyprus is undergoing a demographic transition toward an older age structure. The proportion of individuals aged 65+ rose to 17.7% in 2023, surpassing the share of children under 15 (15.3%). This ageing trend has implications for the country’s labour supply, pension system, and health-care services.

Age structure

0–14 years: 17.47% or 137,900 ( 70,700 males/67,200 females)

15–64 years: 70.07% or 553,100 ( 274,300 males/278,800 females)

65 years and over: 12.46% or 98,300 ( 44,600 males/53,700 females)

Population growth rate

1.4%

Net migration rate

Total immigrants: 19,143

Total emigrants: 11,753

Net migration: +7,390

Net migration rate: 9.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.086 male(s)/female

Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female

Marriage rates

Estimates for 2023

Number of marriages:

Ecclesiastical marriages: 4,355

Civil marriages: 7,411

Civil marriages of Cyprus residents: 6,431

Total marriages: 11,766

Marriage rate:

Total marriages: 11.8/1,000 population

Divorce rates

Estimates for 2023

Total Divorces: 2,134

Divorce Rate: 2.23/1,000 population

Nationality

Noun: Cypriot(s)

Adjective: Cypriot

HIV/AIDS

Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)

People living with HIV/AIDS: fewer than 1,000 (1999 est.); 518 cases reported between 1986 and 2006 (58% Cypriots, 42% foreigners/visitors);

Deaths: 85 reported between 1986 and 2006.

"The information presented here concerns only part of Cyprus, due to an absence of reliable information concerning the island as a whole".

This article incorporates from (2006 ed.). CIA.

• , Eurostat Newsrelease 119/2008, 26 August 2008.