Filenews 19 December 2025
The number of serious offences reported to the Police in 2024 appears to have increased, according to the latest data from the Cyprus Statistical Service. A total of 5,942 cases of serious offences were reported during the year, of which 5,900 were recorded as genuine, compared to 5,653 complaints in 2023 and 5,630 actual cases.
For another year, the first place is held by offenses against property, which accounted for 31.8% of all serious offenses in 2024, compared to 34.8% in 2023. In second place in 2024 were offenses against the person with a percentage of 26.8%, while in 2023 offenses that harm the public in general followed with 19.4%. The serious crime rate per 100,000 inhabitants rose to 605 points in 2024, from 588 in 2023 and 568 in 2022, recording a steady upward trend.
Victims: Increase in natural and legal persons
In the 5,900 actual cases of serious crimes in 2024, a total of 6,651 victims were recorded, of which 5,128 were natural persons and 1,523 legal entities. In 2023, 5,531 victims were recorded, of which 4,444 were natural persons and 1,087 were legal entities.
In both years, the majority of legal entities were victims of offences that harm the public in general (53.4% in 2024 and 43.8% in 2023). In terms of natural persons, in 2024 the largest share (39.8%) was a victim of offenses against the person, while in 2023 the first place was held by offenses against property (45%).
Offenders and low participation of women
A total of 7,470 offenders were involved in real cases of serious offenses in 2024. Of the 7,433 who were natural persons, 820 were women, a percentage of 11%, which shows that the participation of women in serious crime remains significantly lower than that of men. As in 2023, offenses against property were the main category of violations, with a percentage of 32.8%.
Juvenile delinquency: Significant increase
An alarming increase is also recorded in juvenile delinquency. In 2024, a total of 774 minors were involved in the commission of offenses, serious and minor offenses, compared to 602 in 2023. Of these, 467 were involved in serious offenses and 307 in minor offenses. Girls accounted for 4.4% of juvenile offenders in 2024, compared to 8.6% in 2023. In both years, property offences were the most common among minors.
Courts: Reduction of charges, increase of women
There was a decrease of 12,5% in the number of persons brought before a court in 2024, which amounted to 62.066, from 70.941 in 2023. Despite the decline, the percentage of women continued to rise, reaching 26.3% in 2024, up from 25.1% in 2023.
Convictions amounted to 32,683 in 2024, with men making up 72.0% of the total, a similar figure to 2023. The majority of convictions were for traffic offences, for both men and women. The most common sentence remained the fine, which was imposed on 90.4% of the convicts.
Prisons: Stable population and lower admissions
The prison population on September 1, 2024 amounted to 995 persons, of which 934 were men. Prisoners aged 21 and over accounted for 95.1%, while Cypriots accounted for 43.3% of the total. The number of convicts amounted to 74.1% and the number of convicts to 25.9%.
Convict admissions fell to 917 in 2024, from 1,027 in 2023, with the relevant index per 100,000 inhabitants falling to 112 points. The median length of imprisonment imposed was 10.6 months, but the actual median stay in prison was limited to 4.9 months, due to dismissals and pardons.
Recurrence: Limited but present
Over 83% of convicts admitted to prisons in 2024 had no previous prison sentence. Of those who had served a sentence in the past, 38% returned to prison within less than 12 months of their previous release, while 60.7% were convicted of the same offense.
CNA
