Christodoulides warns of Cyprus demographic challenge as births decline
President Nikos Christodoulides outlined government efforts to address falling births as figures show Cyprus’s population growing mainly through migration.
Limassol, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides described Cyprus’s demographic challenge as “very serious” on Sunday, saying births had reached their lowest rate since 2017. At the inauguration of a community nursery, he said the government had a defined plan to address the problem.
Fertility and births decline
Christodoulides cited a rate of 1.3, saying a minimum of 2.1 was necessary for population replacement over a 25-year period.
Figures from the statistical service put fertility at 1.4 children per woman in 2024, the same as in 2023. The rate has fallen steadily from its local high of 2.5 in 1982 and remained below the 2.1 replacement threshold since 1995.
The data show that annual births dropped to 9,766 in 2024 from 10,241 in 2023, before declining further to 9,230 last year. With annual deaths exceeding 6,000, the balance between births and deaths produced natural population growth of just 2,426 last year.
Replacement target exceeds historical birth totals
Achieving the government’s fertility target of 2.1 would mean exceeding 14,000 births annually. Cyprus has not recorded that total at any point since record-keeping began in 1974.
The highest annual total was 11,372 in 1992, primarily attributed to an increase in child benefit introduced the previous year under President George Vassiliou.
Migration drives growth as population ages
Despite fewer births, statistical service figures show that the population increased by 1.7 per cent last year to approximately 983,000. Migration accounted for most of that growth, with net migration reaching 13,588.
Residents aged at least 65 represented 18.3 per cent of the population last year, compared with 11.3 per cent in 2000. Over that period, the proportion aged under 15 decreased to 15.2 per cent from 22.3 per cent.
Financial measures remain central
Successive administrations have primarily used financial support to encourage births. The latest initiative promoted by Christodoulides was a €50m package providing mothers younger than 30 with €200 monthly, alongside a childbirth grant ranging from €1,000 for the first child to €2,000 for the third.
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