Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus recorded one of the European Union’s longest expected working lives in 2025, with people aged 15 and over projected to spend an average of 39.5 years in employment, according to Eurostat figures released on Thursday.
The figure was above the EU average of 37.5 years and placed Cyprus just below the seven member states where expected working lives exceeded 40 years.
EU trend
Across the European Union, the expected duration of working life rose from 37.2 years in 2024 to 37.5 years in 2025.
The indicator has increased by 2.3 years since 2016, when the EU average stood at 35.2 years, although significant differences remain among member states, Eurostat said.
Member state rankings
The Netherlands recorded the longest expected working life at 44.0 years, followed by Sweden at 43.4 years, Denmark at 42.6 years, Estonia at 41.5 years, Ireland at 40.7 years, Germany at 40.2 years and Finland at 40.1 years.
Cyprus, at 39.5 years, ranked slightly behind those countries and ahead of several other southern European economies. Greece recorded an expected working life of 35.3 years, while neighbouring Turkey recorded 30.4 years.
Romania had the shortest expected working life in the EU at 32.7 years, followed by Italy at 33.0 years and Bulgaria at 34.6 years.
Gender gap
Eurostat’s figures also showed a persistent gap between men and women across the European Union.
