Filenews 15 January 2025
The population in state-controlled areas increased by 1.8% in 2023, but at the same time the numbers show that the upward trend of ageing continues.
According to the data published today by the Statistical Service, in absolute numbers the population was estimated at 966,400 at the end of 2023, compared to 949,100 at the end of 2022.
The proportion of children under the age of 15 was estimated at 15.3% in 2023 and the proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and over at 17.7%, compared to 22.3% and 11.3%, respectively, in 2000. In other words, there is a gradual increase in the percentage of elderly people and a decrease in the percentage of children, indicative of the ageing trend of the population.
Fertility rate remains low
In 2023, the number of births in state-controlled areas rose to 10,241 from 10,187 the previous year, and the crude birth rate was estimated at 10.7 for every 1,000 inhabitants. In 2023, the total fertility rate was estimated at 1.4 and remained at the same level as the previous year. The overall fertility rate remains low compared with 1982 (2.5), when it was the highest since 1974. Since 1995 the overall fertility rate has been below 2.1, which is necessary to ensure population replenishment.
The average age of the mother at the birth of her first child was 30.0 years, while the average age for all births in 2023, regardless of the order of birth of the children, was 31.5 years.
Increased infant mortality
The number of deaths in the areas controlled by the state was 6,742 in 2023 compared to 7,307 in 2022. The crude death rate in 2023 fell to 7.0 deaths for every 1,000 inhabitants, down from 7.8 in 2022.
Life expectancy at birth for 2023 was estimated at 81.0 years for men and 85.0 years for women, compared to 80.2 years for men and 83.9 years for women in 2022.
Infant mortality increased to 4.5 infant deaths in every 1,000 live births during 2023, compared to 3.3 in 2022.
26.979 people emigrated from Cyprus
Net migration to Cyprus was positive from 1983 to 2011. Negative net migration was observed in the period 2012-2015, while since 2016 net migration has been positive again. In 2023 it was estimated at 13,782.
The number of migrants to Cyprus – Cypriot returnees and foreigners coming for settlement or temporary employment beyond 1 year – was 40,761 in 2023 from 37.558 in 2022.
The number of migrants from Cyprus – Cypriots and foreigners who have stayed in Cyprus for at least one year – is estimated at 26,979 for 2023 compared to 21.118 in 2022.
Marriages have fallen, divorces have increased
The total number of marriages in 2023 fell to 11,766 from 13,350 a year earlier. Church marriages showed a slight decrease from 4,486 in 2022 to 4,355 in 2023. Civil marriages also declined, from 8,864 in 2022 to 7,411 in 2023. As in previous years, a significant number of civil marriages were performed by non-residents. Specifically, out of a total of 7,411 civil marriages performed in 2023, only 2,076 were marriages between residents of Cyprus. Thus, the total number of marriages of residents of Cyprus amounted to 6.431.
In 2023, the number of divorces rose to 2,134, from 1,503 in 2022. The crude disjunctivity rate was estimated at 2.23 for every 1,000 inhabitants in 2023, compared to 1.60 in 2022. The overall divorce rate, which shows the percentage of marriages expected to end in divorce, reached 347.8 in every 1,000 marriages in 2023, up from 41.6 in 1980.
