in-cyprus 21 March 2025
The percentage of Cyprus’s population at risk of poverty or social exclusion decreased slightly to 17.1% in 2024, down from 17.4% in 2023, according to data released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus on Thursday.
Approximately 164,000 people were living in households with income below the poverty threshold, experiencing severe material deprivation, or residing in households with very low work intensity, the annual Income and Living Conditions Survey revealed.
The survey, which uses 2023 as its income reference year, showed persistent gender disparities, with 18.5% of women at risk compared to 15.6% of men.
According to the Statistical Service, the poverty risk indicator decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 14.6%, while the proportion of the population living in households with very low work intensity also fell by 0.3 percentage points to 4.2%.
The severe material and social deprivation indicator saw a marginal increase of 0.1 percentage points, rising from 2.4% in 2023 to 2.5% in 2024.
The monetary poverty threshold, calculated at 60% of the median equivalent disposable household income, increased by 7.4% to €12,400 for single-person households and €26,039 for households with two adults and two children under 14. The previous year’s thresholds were €11,548 and €24,250 respectively.
The median equivalent disposable income per person rose to €20,667 in 2024 from €19,247 in 2023, according to the Statistical Service.
The data revealed the impact of social welfare on poverty reduction. Before including social benefits and pensions, 34.2% of the population would have been at risk of poverty. This figure decreased to 21.0% when pensions were included, and further reduced to 14.6% when all social benefits were factored in.
Overall, social welfare reduced the poverty risk indicator by 19.6 percentage points in 2024, with pensions accounting for a 13.2 percentage point reduction and social benefits contributing 6.4 percentage points.
The AROPE indicator (At Risk Of Poverty or social Exclusion), which is the main indicator for monitoring the European Union’s 2030 poverty and social exclusion target, reflected these improvements with its decrease to 17.1% in 2024.
