Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus ranked among the European Union’s most transport-intensive countries in 2024, placing fourth for car ownership and second for air travel per capita, according to Eurostat.
High car ownership compared with EU average
Eurostat data show Cyprus recorded 661 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024, above the EU average of 578. Only Italy, Luxembourg and Finland reported higher motorisation levels, while Latvia, Romania and Hungary recorded the lowest rates.
Second-highest air travel per capita in the EU
Cyprus recorded 12.5 air passengers per inhabitant in 2024, ranking second in the EU behind Malta at 15.6. Luxembourg and Ireland followed with 7.5 passengers per capita each, while the EU average stood at 2.3. Eurostat said the indicator is based on the number of passengers travelling to and from each country relative to its resident population.
Transport activity largely domestic
Almost all vehicle kilometres recorded in Cyprus, 97.5 per cent, concerned national transport. Eurostat data show that across the EU, more than two thirds of journeys take place within member states. Lithuania recorded the lowest share of domestic transport, with 11 per cent of vehicle kilometres linked to national transport.
Small transport labour market
Despite the intensity of transport use, Cyprus continued to have one of the smallest transport labour markets in the EU.
How do Cyprus’s high car ownership and air travel rates affect daily life and infrastructure where you live?