Filenews 29 March 2023
Around 27 migrants per 1000 people arrived in Cyprus from outside the EU in 2021, according to data released by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. A total of 22.7% of citizens in Cyprus were born in another country (either a third country or an EU member state), bringing it to third place among the 27.
Although Cyprus is the country with the second highest percentage of citizens born in another Member State (10.6%) of citizens, it is well below in the ranking, in fifth place, in terms of citizens born in a third country (12.2%).
Compared to 2021, the number of citizens in Cyprus born in a third country increased while the number of citizens born in other Member States decreased.
In 2021, around 2.3 million migrants from third countries arrived in the European Union from outside the EU and around 1.1 million people migrated from the EU to a non-EU country in 2021.
The data also show a significant increase compared to 2020 when around 1.9 million migrants from third countries arrived in the EU, and around 956 thousand people migrated from the EU to a third country.
Also in 2021, 1.4 million people previously living in an EU country migrated to another EU Member State (1.2 million people in 2020).
Cyprus had in 2021 the third highest proportion of migrant arrivals per 1000 people. In particular, the EU averaged around 5 migrants per 1000 people, while the highest proportion was recorded in Luxembourg (almost 40 per 1000), Malta (35 per 1000) and Cyprus (27 per 1000).
The lowest levels of migration were recorded in Slovakia (1 person per 1000) and Portugal and France (5 per 1000 in both).
As regards the proportion of the population in each Member State born in another country (both a third country and another EU Member State), on 1 January 2022 it stood at 49.4% in Luxembourg, 23.6% in Malta and 22.7% in Cyprus.
The lowest proportion of people born in another country was recorded in Romania (1.7%), Poland (2.5%) and Bulgaria (3.2%).
In absolute terms, the largest populations of residents born in another country (third country or another Member State) were recorded in Germany (15.3 million people), France (8.7 million people) and Spain (7.4 million people).
Of citizens from another EU country, the highest proportion was recorded in Luxembourg (33.8%), followed by Cyprus (10.6%) and Austria (9.3%). Significant shares of residents from other Member States were also recorded in Belgium and Malta (7.9% each).
The lowest percentages of citizens from other EU Member States were recorded in Poland and Lithuania (0.6% each), as well as Bulgaria and Romania (1.0% each).
For citizens born in a third country, the highest percentages were recorded in Malta (15.7%), followed by Luxembourg (15.6%), Sweden (14.9%), Estonia (13.1%) and Cyprus (12.2%).
The lowest proportions of citizens not born in the EU were recorded in Romania (0.7%), Slovakia (1.0%), Poland (1.9%), Bulgaria (2.2%) and Hungary (2.9%).
Compared to 2021, in absolute numbers, in 2022 there was an increase in 13 Member States in the number of citizens born in a third country or another Member State (Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden).
At the same time, five Member States recorded a decrease in the numbers of both groups (Czechia, Greece, Italy, Latvia and Romania).
At the same time, in some countries the number of non-EU-born citizens increased and that of citizens born in another Member State (Germany, France, Spain, Cyprus, Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia) decreased.
The reverse trend was recorded in Croatia (to a small extent) and Portugal, where there was an increase in citizens born in other Member States, and a decrease in citizens born in third countries.
