Cyprus collected and spent €5.43 billion by the end of July 2026, keeping state revenue and expenditure at the same absolute level halfway through the budget year. Revenue had reached 50% of the annual target, compared with 47% for expenditure.
Compared with the first seven months of 2025, both revenue and spending increased by €260 million. Stronger tax receipts were the main reason for the rise in revenue, while higher operating costs, transfers, grants and social benefits pushed expenditure up.
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Tax Receipts Provide A Major Boost
VAT collections rose by €200 million year-on-year to €1.98 billion, while direct tax revenue increased by €150 million to €1.95 billion. Income tax paid by companies and individuals accounted for most of the increase in direct taxation.
The stronger tax performance has helped the government accommodate higher spending without creating a significant deterioration in the mid-year budget position.
Social Spending And Transfers Rise
The increase in expenditure was not driven by public sector salaries and pensions, which remained broadly unchanged at €1.90 billion.
Instead, social benefits reached €1.13 billion, up €70 million from a year earlier, with additional spending directed towards healthcare, education, housing and welfare. Transfers and grants also increased by €80 million to €1.13 billion.
Operating costs climbed by €120 million to €530 million, partly reflecting higher spending on defence and policing, as well as consultancy and research services.
Development Spending Moves Faster
Capital expenditure reached €165.7 million by July, with 32% of the development budget executed compared with a 28% average for the same period over the past decade.
Major allocations included roads, construction projects, government and school buildings, equipment, and water and sewerage infrastructure.
EU-backed programmes are also supporting areas such as home energy upgrades, sustainable transport, electric mobility, digital transformation and skills development.
Debt Repayments Surge
One of the biggest changes came from public debt transactions. Government borrowing inflows reached €1.31 billion, while loan repayments and related outflows exceeded €2.1 billion.
Foreign debt repayments accounted for €2.06 billion, compared with just €60 million during the same period in 2025. Despite the much larger repayments, financing costs remained broadly stable at around €430 million.
A Balanced Mid-Year Picture
Overall, Cyprus’s public finances remain broadly on track. Rising VAT and income tax receipts are supporting higher social, operational and development spending, while the public-sector wage bill remains relatively stable.
The headline €5.43 billion balance between revenue and expenditure therefore tells only part of the story: beneath it, tax collection is strengthening, investment spending is progressing faster than usual, and debt-related cash flows have increased sharply.
