High life expectancy, but also significant challenges related to the quality of life, prevention and safety of women are recorded for Cyprus in a new report by the World Health Organization.
Women in Cyprus have a life expectancy of 85.6 years, higher than the WHO European Region average of 82.8 years.
At the same time, however, almost one in three women who had a partner relationship (at the time of writing) is estimated to have experienced intimate partner violence at some point in their lives, while 47% of women do not have sufficient physical activity.
The data for cardiovascular diseases are good, while for various types of cancer, Cyprus seems to be close to the average of the other countries.
The figures are included in the report Core health indicators in the WHO European Region 2026, which was published this month and is dedicated to the health of women and girls at all stages of their lives.
The WHO compiles the latest available indicators from the countries of its European Region, with the report including 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia.
The data come from different reference years and, where necessary, are supplemented by estimates by the Organization, with the WHO, as shown by the report, attempting to highlight a broader picture of women's health, beyond pregnancy and maternity.
The Organization acknowledges that "significant progress has been made in maternal health over the past two decades," stressing, however, that "women need the same attention, investment, and quality of care at every stage of their lives."
The key message emerging from the report is that women's health should not only be assessed on the basis of how many years they live, but also on the quality of these years, their safety and their access to appropriate care.
Life expectancy 85.6 years
According to the report, the life expectancy of women in Cyprus stands at 85.6 years, compared to 81.5 years for men.
At the level of the WHO European Region, the corresponding life expectancy is 82.8 years for women and 77.3 years for men.
However, the Agency points out that longevity is not necessarily the same as good health.
In Cyprus, the percentage of life that women are expected to spend in good health is estimated at 83%, compared to 81.3% in the European Region as a whole.
The WHO notes, however, that, despite the longer life expectancy of women, a significant part of it may be accompanied by chronic diseases, disability or other health restrictions.
Motherhood at a young age
In Cyprus, the birth rate for adolescent girls aged 15–19 stands at 7.9 per 1,000 girls in this age group, compared to 11.7 in the European Region.
The total fertility rate in Cyprus stands at 1.5 children per woman, slightly lower than the regional average of 1.6.
Almost one in three has experienced intimate partner violence
Particularly important is the report's finding on violence against women.
According to WHO estimates, 31.6% of women in Cyprus who have had a partner have experienced intimate partner violence at some point in their lives.
This percentage refers to the long-term experience of violence and not incidents that occurred or were reported during 2026.
The report also includes a separate indicator for sexual violence by a person who was not a partner, which for Cyprus amounts to 7.4%.
The two indicators record different forms of violence and cannot be added together to derive an overall percentage.
The WHO treats violence against women as a public health issue, pointing out that its consequences can affect both physical and mental health, even many years after it occurs.
47% do not have sufficient physical activity
The data on women's physical activity are also worrying. In Cyprus, according to the estimates recorded in the report, 47% of women have insufficient physical activity. This index has 2022 as its reference year.
At the same time, the percentage of women who are overweight or obese is estimated at 46.5%, with the reference year being 2024.
The report also records that 18.9% of women in Cyprus use tobacco products, according to estimates for 2025.
Cardiovascular disease and cancer
In mortality from cardiovascular diseases, Cyprus records a lower index than the average of the WHO European Region.
Specifically, the age-weighted mortality rate of women from cardiovascular diseases amounts to 78.1 deaths per 100,000 women in Cyprus, compared to 179.7 per 100,000 in the European Region.
The report also includes data on cancers specific to women.
The age-weighted mortality rate from breast, cervical and uterine cancer, as well as ovarian cancer, amounts to 29 deaths per 100,000 women in Cyprus. The corresponding regional average is 29.6.
For the incidence of breast cancer in Cyprus, the report cites an index of 141.55 cases per 100,000 women, while for cervical cancer the rate is 6.23 cases per 100,000 women.
However, the specific data on the incidence of the two cancers are based on older available data, from the period 2015–2020, and do not constitute a record of new cases in 2026.
Vaccination coverage for HPV at 89%
An important element of the report also concerns the prevention of cervical cancer.
According to the WHO, the estimated vaccination coverage against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in girls aged 9–14 years in Cyprus stands at 89%.
The corresponding index for the WHO European Region is 38%.
HPV vaccination is an important measure to prevent cervical cancer, as some types of the virus are causally linked to the development of the disease.
