Nicosia, Cyprus. The total number of state employees in Cyprus reached 55,382 in May 2026, according to figures released by the Cyprus Statistical Service on Thursday. The total state workforce increased by 77 employees, or 0.1 per cent, compared with May 2025.
Changes across services
Employment in the civil service fell by 1.2 per cent, while the educational service and the security forces recorded increases of 1.4 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively.
Employment categories
Compared with May 2025, the largest increase among employment categories was registered among staff with contracts of indefinite duration, which rose by 2.1 per cent. The only category to record a decline was that of employees on fixed-term contracts, where numbers fell by 3.1 per cent.
Largest shifts within services
Within the individual services, the strongest increase was observed among employees with indefinite-duration contracts in the educational service, where staffing rose by 24.7 per cent. The sharpest decline was recorded among employees with fixed-term contracts in the security forces, with numbers dropping by 89.8 per cent.
Reason for decline in temporary contracts
According to Cystat, the steep fall mainly reflects the completion and non-renewal of certain temporary contracts in July 2025.
Five-month average and broader debate
For the period from January to May 2026, the average number of state employees increased by 0.2 per cent compared with the corresponding period of 2025.
The latest figures come amid a broader debate over the state wage bill, with public servants’ union Pasydy this week rejecting suggestions that personnel costs are rising uncontrollably.
