Nicosia, Cyprus. Forests cover about 18.6% of Cyprus’ total area, placing the island below overall European levels, according to Eurostat data published on Wednesday.
Cyprus forest cover compared with EU levels
Eurostat reported that forests covered 39% of the EU’s total land area in 2023. The highest rates were recorded in Finland at 66.5% and Sweden at 62.4%, while the lowest were in Malta at 4.3% and the Netherlands at 9.7%.
Drought impact across the EU
A total of 156,703 square kilometres of land in the EU were affected by drought, with significant increases recorded in the areas affected in the decade from 2014 to 2024. The highest values occurred in 2022 and 2018, when 558,313 and 520,817 square kilometres were affected, respectively.
Overall trend
Although levels were lower in 2023 and 2024, Eurostat reported an overall upward trend in the 10-year moving average of areas affected by drought.
How does Cyprus’ forest coverage compare with the EU average reported by Eurostat?
