Cyprus Mail 24 February 2026 - by Kyriacos Nicolaou
EU countries imported €3.471 trillion worth of services from non-EU countries during 2024, with Cyprus standing out for its heavy reliance on cross-border supply and the presence of natural persons, according to Eurostat.
The figures, drawn from official statistics on international trade in services by modes of supply, show that the bulk of EU service imports were channelled through commercial presence within the reporting country.
Across the bloc, 58.9 per cent of total service imports, amounting to €2.044 trillion, were delivered in such a fashion.
A further 31.3 per cent, valued at €1.087 trillion, were supplied through cross-border supply.
Moreover, consumption abroad accounted for 6.6 per cent of imports, equivalent to €229 billion.
The presence of natural persons, meanwhile, represented 3.2 per cent of total service imports, amounting to €111 billion.
In 22 EU countries, the majority of service imports came through commercial presence within their territory.
Eurostat reported that the highest shares of imports via commercial presence were recorded in Bulgaria at 81.7 per cent, Hungary at 78.1 per cent and Spain at 74.5 per cent.
By contrast, Cyprus displayed a markedly different structure, the figures showed.
In Cyprus, 43.8 per cent of service imports were delivered through cross-border supply, placing the island among the EU countries with the highest reliance on this mode.
Only Greece recorded a higher share, with cross-border supply accounting for 68.8 per cent of its service imports.
High shares were also reported in Sweden at 37.7 per cent and Denmark at 37.4 per cent.
When it comes to consumption abroad, Denmark stood out, with 22.3 per cent of its service imports falling under mode 2.
France recorded a share of 12.1 per cent, while Lithuania reached 10.8 per cent, Croatia 10.4 per cent and Italy 10.3 per cent.
For other EU countries, consumption abroad accounted for less than 10 per cent of total imports.
What is more, Cyprus also stood out in relation to the presence of natural persons, with 7.3 per cent of its service imports delivered in such a manner.
This was the joint highest share in the EU, alongside Denmark, which also recorded 7.3 per cent.
Belgium followed in third place with a 5.4 per cent share, the report showed.
The figures underline how the structure of service imports varies significantly across the EU, reflecting differences in economic models and sectoral specialisation.
For Cyprus, the relatively high reliance on cross-border supply and the presence of natural persons highlights the island’s integration into international service networks and its openness to foreign expertise.
Cyprus imports a high volume of foreign services because it is a small, highly internationalised, services-based economy that both exports services and relies on specialised expertise, technology and intra-group support from abroad.
As a hub for foreign-owned companies and cross-border business structures, it is deeply integrated into global value chains, meaning strong service exports naturally coexist with significant service imports.
At EU level, the dominance of commercial presence demonstrates the continued importance of foreign affiliates and subsidiaries in delivering services within member states.
Overall, the figures point to a highly interconnected EU services market, with €3.471 trillion in imports from non-EU countries flowing through multiple channels of supply.
