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Cyprus Emerges as a Leading Force in European ICT Employment Growth

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 9, 2025

Accelerated ICT Expansion in Cyprus

Over the past decade, Cyprus has distinguished itself with one of the fastest growth rates in ICT employment across the European Union. According to Eurostat, the island nation experienced an average annual growth rate of 9.2% in ICT roles from 2014 to 2024. This robust increase highlights the nation’s strategic embrace of the digital economy.

Empowering Women in the Digital Sector

Notably, the surge in ICT employment has been exceptionally strong among women, who saw their numbers expand by an impressive 13.7% per year. This performance positions Cyprus as one of the EU’s top performing countries in advancing gender diversity in technology sectors.

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European ICT Landscape: Trends and Targets

Across the EU, more than 10 million individuals were employed as ICT specialists in 2024, marking an increase from 2014 and representing 5.0% of the total employed population. Despite this growth, the current figures fall short of the ambitious Digital Decade goal of achieving 20 million ICT specialists by 2030. Countries like Sweden, Luxembourg, Finland, and the Netherlands continue to lead in the proportion of ICT employment, while nations such as Greece and Romania lag significantly behind.

Younger Workforce and High Educational Attainment

Cyprus not only exhibits robust growth in ICT roles but also features a notably younger workforce. In 2024, 41.9% of its ICT specialists were aged between 15 and 34, surpassing the EU average of 37.2%. Furthermore, over 80% of Cyprus’s ICT professionals hold higher education degrees, aligning it with countries like Ireland, Spain, France, and Belgium in academic excellence.

Closing the Gender Gap and Sectoral Insights

While men still dominate the ICT field, the gender gap has narrowed across the EU. The proportion of women in ICT roles rose from 16.2% in 2014 to 19.5% in 2024. Countries such as Estonia, Romania, and Bulgaria have recorded female participation rates above 27%, with Cyprus showing a significant improvement of 8.1 percentage points—the second highest EU-wide gain after Estonia.

Diverse Industry Involvement

ICT specialists are primarily concentrated in the information and communication sector where they now comprise 60.6% of employment. Other sectors experiencing significant ICT integration include finance and insurance (8.3%), professional, scientific and technical activities (8.1%), and utilities (7.7%). Between 2014 and 2024, nearly all major economic sectors saw an increase in ICT roles, with the information and communication sector alone witnessing a rise of 9.9 percentage points.

Conclusion

Cyprus’s dynamic ICT employment landscape is emblematic of broader European trends towards digital transformation. The nation’s rapid growth, coupled with strategic advancements in gender diversity and educational qualifications, underscores its emerging role as a powerhouse in the digital economy. As Europe continues to navigate its digital future, Cyprus’s experience offers valuable insights into leveraging ICT for sustained economic development.

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Cyprus Expects More French Visitors In 2027 As Air Capacity Expands

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 18, 2026

Cyprus expects more French visitors in 2027 as airlines increase capacity between the two countries, Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said after meetings with tour operators in Paris.

France, one of Cyprus’ key tourism markets, has had a difficult 2026. French arrivals fell 46% year over year to 8,453 in August, from 15,663 a year earlier, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). August arrivals were also nearly 50% below the 16,798 recorded in the same month of 2024.

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Overall, Cyprus received 2.82 million tourist arrivals between January and August, down 7% from the same period in 2025.

Air Connectivity Supports 2027 Outlook

Koumis discussed the 2027 outlook with senior executives from tour operators offering Cyprus holidays during the IFTM Top Resa travel trade fair in Paris.

Higher air capacity between France and Cyprus was a key focus of the talks. Participants also discussed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on the French market and Cyprus’ efforts to adapt its tourism offering to French travelers.

“The French market is undoubtedly an extremely important market for our country’s tourism,” Koumis said, adding that France had regained importance only a few years ago and still had room to grow.

Improved air connectivity will be an important factor in that expansion, according to Koumis. “It is now clear that air connectivity between France and Cyprus is improving significantly, which is a basic prerequisite for the further growth of the market,” he said.

Cyprus Promotes Tourism And Regional Cooperation

Koumis attended the opening of IFTM Top Resa at the invitation of French Tourism Minister Serge Papin, who later visited the Cyprus stand. Held from Sept. 15 to 17 at Paris Porte de Versailles, the event brought together more than 32,000 tourism professionals representing 177 destinations and 1,650 brands, according to organizers.

During his visit, Koumis also met Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy. Cyprus and Egypt reaffirmed their tourism cooperation and discussed opportunities to strengthen ties further.

French media interviews covered Cyprus’ tourism offering, infrastructure and services, along with efforts to develop specialized tourism products. Regional instability weighed on arrivals in 2026, particularly during the spring, although the decline narrowed over the summer.