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| Only 29.2% of women aged 50 to 69 had undergone a mammogram within the previous two years, one of the lowest rates recorded in the EU. |
The country had the EU’s second-highest availability of mammography units in 2024, with 6.9 units per 100,000 residents.
Cyprus had 6.9 mammography units for every 100,000 residents in 2024, giving it the second-highest level of availability among EU countries with comparable data, according to figures from Eurostat.
Greece recorded the highest rate at 7.6 units per 100,000 people, while Italy followed with 3.7.
At the lower end of the scale, Poland, Czechia, Sweden and Romania each had 1.1 mammography units per 100,000 inhabitants.
Cyprus also recorded the largest increase in mammography unit availability among the EU countries included in the comparison. Since 2019, the figure has risen by 1.3 units per 100,000 residents.
Ten EU countries recorded an increase over the same period. Four countries saw their figures fall, including Sweden, where availability dropped by 0.8 units, and Malta, which recorded a decline of 0.7 units. The figure was unchanged in six other countries.
Screening rate remains low
The figures present a different picture when it comes to participation in breast cancer screening.
In 2024, 29.2% of women in Cyprus aged between 50 and 69 had undergone a mammogram within the previous two years. Among EU countries with available data, this was the second-lowest rate.
Hungary recorded the lowest rate at 27.2%. Poland followed at 33.8%, while Latvia recorded 38.2% and Austria 41.3%.
The highest screening participation was reported in Denmark, where 82.1% of women in the relevant age group had undergone a mammogram. Sweden followed at 82.0% and Finland at 81.6%, with Slovenia at 77.8% and Ireland at 71.2%.
Compared with 2019, screening participation increased in nine EU countries. Slovakia recorded the largest rise, at 12.5 percentage points, followed by Croatia with a 10-point increase and Estonia with a 9.9-point increase.
Screening rates were unchanged in Sweden and Finland. Eleven other EU countries recorded declines, ranging from a fall of 0.4 percentage points in Ireland to 21.8 percentage points in Malta.
Eurostat describes breast cancer as one of the most common cancers in the European Union. Regular screening, together with other preventive measures, is used to detect the disease and reduce its impact and associated mortality.
