Nicosia, Cyprus. The north’s statistics institute said on Tuesday the population stood at 489,308 at the end of 2024, describing the figure as a projection. Mobile communications data released by the north’s telecommunications authority indicated a substantially higher number of mobile subscribers.
Projection and census background
The statistics institute released what it described as a projection of the north’s population as of the end of 2024, with the last comprehensive census having been carried out in 2011.
Mobile subscriber data and penetration rate
The north’s telecommunications authority said in December that as of the end of September there were 1,133,583 mobile subscribers in the north, of which 945,810 were active. It said this corresponded to a mobile penetration rate of 276 per cent.
Based on the projection released by the statistics institute, the mobile penetration rate would be 232 per cent. The telecommunications authority’s figure would place the north second globally, while the rate calculated using the projection would also rank second, after Hong Kong, according to World Bank figures.
Comparisons with other jurisdictions
World Bank figures put the Republic of Cyprus’ mobile penetration rate at 156 per cent. The European Union’s rate is 124 per cent and the global rate is 110 per cent.
Were the north to have a comparable mobile penetration rate to the Republic of Cyprus, it would have a population of around 725,000.
Political statements and ongoing debate
The statistics institute’s figure is lower than an estimate given by ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel in July last year, when he said the north’s population was 590,000, excluding foreign students and Turkish soldiers.
The issue of how many people live in the north has been widely discussed in recent years, with ruling coalition part DP ‘MP’ Serhat Akpinar and Turkish Cypriot mukhtars’ association chairman Akay Darbaz among those suggesting as many as a million people live in the north.
Akpinar later told the Cyprus Mail the north “must limit and stop” handing out of ‘citizenships’ to stem rapid population growth.
Universities and public services
Larger estimates typically include foreign students at the north’s universities, with over 20 universities currently operational. Local officials have complained that rapid population growth has left local authorities with inadequate funds to provide services to residents.
What do you think should be used to estimate the north’s population more accurately?
