Cyprus Financial Wellbeing Improves, But Challenges Persist

Overview Of Financial Well-being In Cyprus

The Financial Wellbeing Index for 2025 showed an improvement in the financial health of households in Cyprus, with the index rising to 54.6 points from 50.7 in 2024. Despite the increase, a large share of the population continues to face financial challenges, according to the report published by the Financial Wellbeing Institute.

Persistent Financial Vulnerabilities And The Cost Of Living

The study divides respondents into five financial well-being categories, ranging from financially vulnerable to financially thriving. More than a third of the population falls into the two lowest categories. Of those surveyed, 15.4% were classified as financially vulnerable, while 23.0% were identified as struggling financially.

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Concerns about everyday expenses remain widespread. When asked about the biggest threat to their financial stability, 26.1% of respondents cited the rising cost of living.

Retirement Concerns And Economic Security

Retirement preparedness also emerged as a key issue in the survey. Nearly half of the respondents said they were uncertain whether they would be able to maintain their current standard of living after retirement. On average, participants expected their state pension to replace 52.3% of their final salary.

The report noted that this expectation is higher than the replacement rate provided by the Social Insurance Fund, which is estimated at around 42%.

Targeted Interventions And Strategic Responses

Financial stress remained the weakest component of overall financial well-being, receiving a score of 48.8 points. Commenting on the findings, Financial Wellbeing Institute President Panayiotis C. Andreou said financial wellbeing depends not only on income levels but also on decision-making, retirement planning, and the ability to manage financial uncertainty. The survey was conducted in November 2025 among a representative sample of 809 permanent residents aged 18 to 64.

Supported by Mastercard and carried out in collaboration with IMR at the University of Nicosia, the study highlighted the role of financial education and retirement planning in improving long-term financial well-being.

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Irregular Meal Timing May Raise Heart Risk In Men, New Study Suggests

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 8, 2026

Eating breakfast at lunchtime or dinner during normal sleeping hours may seem like a minor weekend indulgence. New research suggests, however, that this type of irregular meal timing, described by scientists as “eating jet lag,” may be linked to higher cardiovascular risk in men.

A French study published in Communications Medicine found that each additional hour of eating jet lag was associated with a 14% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% higher risk of coronary heart disease among men. No similar association was observed in women.

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Why Meal Timing Matters

Weekend schedules often differ from weekday routines, with work and school timetables shifting when people eat. Over time, researchers suggest, these changes may interfere with the body’s biological rhythms.

“This study suggests the importance of regular meal-timing patterns, beyond sleep and diet quality, in cardiovascular disease prevention,” the authors wrote.

Researchers followed more than 100,000 participants for 14 years, analyzing the timing of their first and last meals on working days and weekends between 2009 and 2023.

Risk Pattern Appeared In Men

Participants were grouped according to how their meal times changed between weekdays and weekends. One group ate earlier on weekends, another maintained similar schedules, and a third ate later.

Both groups with irregular meal timing showed higher cardiovascular risk than those with stable schedules, regardless of overall diet quality. The association was observed only among men.

Researchers proposed several possible explanations. Men generally have a higher absolute risk of cardiovascular disease, while women tend to have stronger morning-oriented routines that may influence how their bodies respond to changes in meal timing.

Circadian Rhythms May Explain The Link

One possible explanation is that irregular eating disrupts the body’s circadian system, which regulates many physiological functions over a 24-hour cycle.

Light is the main signal that sets circadian rhythms, but food timing also helps synchronize peripheral clocks in organs including the liver and heart. Eating in alignment with these rhythms is generally associated with better metabolic regulation, while irregular timing may disrupt that balance.

What It Means For Prevention

The findings do not prove that irregular meal timing causes heart disease. However, they add to growing evidence that when people eat may matter nearly as much as what they eat for long-term cardiovascular health.

If confirmed in larger studies, regular meal timing could become a useful target for public health interventions aimed at reducing chronic disease risk. For individuals, employers and schools, greater consistency in daily routines may be more than a lifestyle preference and could form part of a broader strategy to protect heart health.

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