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Cyprus Achieves Fiscal Surplus Of €939.2 Million In 2025

Fiscal Overview And Economic Implications

Cyprus recorded a fiscal surplus of €939.2 million in 2025, according to preliminary data from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). The surplus corresponds to 2.6% of GDP, compared with 4.1% or €1.44 billion recorded in 2024. Although the surplus narrowed compared with the previous year, the budget balance remained positive as government revenue continued to expand.

Robust Revenue Growth Drives Fiscal Performance

Total government revenue increased by €864.8 million to €15.62 billion, representing a 5.9% rise compared with 2024. Key contributors included income and wealth taxes, which increased by 9.0% to €4.15 billion. Social contributions also rose significantly, adding €358.7 million and reaching €4.88 billion.

Sectoral Contributions And Shifts In Tax Revenues

Property income recorded one of the largest increases, rising by 30.4% to €160.3 million. Taxes on production and imports remained broadly stable at €4.70 billion. Within this category, net VAT revenue declined slightly by 1.7%, falling from €3.17 billion to €3.12 billion.

Dynamic Revenue Streams And Investments

Revenue from the sale of goods and services increased by 17.9% to €1.05 billion. Current transfers also grew by 7.1%, reaching €421.1 million. At the same time, capital transfers declined by 22.0%, falling to €262.9 million from €337.0 million in the previous year.

Escalated Government Expenditures

Total government expenditure rose by 10.3% to €14.68 billion. Employee compensation, including civil servant pensions and social contributions, increased by 6.5% to €4.13 billion. Social benefits rose by 7.2%, reaching €5.69 billion compared with €5.30 billion in 2024. Intermediate consumption increased by 9.3% to €1.60 billion, while current transfers rose by €77.8 million to €920.2 million.

Accelerated Capital Investments Amid Cautious Debt Management

Capital spending recorded a notable increase of 46.6%, reaching €1.77 billion. Gross capital formation rose by 25.1% to €1.21 billion, while other capital expenditure more than doubled, increasing from €240.4 million to €559.9 million. Interest payments on government debt declined by 6.1% to €418.7 million, and subsidy allocations fell by 11.4% to €151.8 million.

Data Reporting Challenges And Forward Outlook

Cystat noted that estimates were used for certain government sectors, particularly local authorities, due to incomplete data submissions. These reporting gaps highlight the importance of improving data collection across public administration as fiscal reporting continues to evolve.

Cyprus Expected Working Life Reaches 39.5 Years, Above EU Average

People in Cyprus are expected to spend 39.5 years in the workforce, around two years longer than the European Union average of 37.5 years, according to the latest Eurostat data for 2025.

The figure places Cyprus among the EU countries with the longest expected working lives.

Cyprus Ranks Above EU Average

Only a handful of member states recorded higher figures than Cyprus. The Netherlands topped the ranking at 44 years, followed by Sweden at 43.4 years, Denmark at 42.6 years, and Estonia at 41.5 years.

At the other end of the ranking were Romania with 32.7 years, Italy with 33.0 years, Bulgaria with 34.6 years and Greece with 35.3 years.

Gender Gap Remains Wider Than EU Average

Men in Cyprus are expected to remain in work for 42.1 years, compared with 36.7 years for women. The gap of 5.4 years exceeds the EU average gender gap of 4.1 years.

Across the bloc, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were the only countries where women were expected to spend longer in employment than men. Finland recorded the smallest positive gender gap at 0.7 years.

Italy posted the widest gap at 8.9 years, followed by Romania at 6.9 years, Greece at 6.7 years and Malta at 6.3 years.

Working Lives Continue To Lengthen

Between 2016 and 2025, expected working life in Cyprus increased by 3.5 years, placing the country among the strongest performers in the EU over the period. Men’s expected working life rose by 3.3 years, while women’s increased by 3.6 years.

Across the EU, every member state recorded an increase. Malta posted the largest gain at 4.9 years, followed by Hungary and Ireland at 4.2 years each, and the Netherlands at 4.1 years.

Malta’s increase was driven largely by women, whose expected working life rose by 7.8 years, the biggest increase recorded across the bloc.

By comparison, Romania, Spain, Italy, Germany and Austria recorded gains of two years or less over the same period.

Women’s Working Lives Increase Faster Across Europe

Women’s expected working life increased faster than men’s in most EU countries. Denmark, Romania, Sweden and Greece were the main exceptions.

In Cyprus, gains for men and women were broadly similar, alongside Bulgaria, Belgium and Slovenia.

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