Cyprus Retail Sales Jump 9.8% In May As Consumer Spending Stays Strong

Cyprus’ retail sector continued to build momentum in May, with both sales values and volumes rising strongly, highlighting resilient consumer spending across a broad range of categories, according to data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

Turnover Value And Volume Both Move Higher

The retail trade turnover value index increased 9.8% year on year in May, while the turnover volume index rose 7.5% compared with the same month in 2025. Together, the figures suggest that consumers not only spent more but also purchased greater volumes of goods across the retail sector.

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Fuel And Household Goods Lead Value Growth

The strongest increase in turnover value came from automotive fuel, which climbed 20.9% compared with a year earlier.

Other household equipment, a category that includes building materials, carpets, furniture, electrical appliances and lighting, recorded the second-largest gain at 12%, reflecting continued demand for home-related purchases.

Educational and recreational goods, including books, stationery, sporting equipment and toys, also posted solid growth, with turnover value rising 10.1%.

Clothing, Technology And Household Equipment Drive Volume

Measured by sales volume, clothing and footwear delivered the strongest performance, advancing 19.4% year on year. Information and communication equipment followed with a 17.6% increase, while other household equipment recorded a 13.3% gain.

Not every segment shared in the broader upswing. Sales volumes of automotive fuel declined 3.8%, while flowers, plants, watches, jewellery, optical goods and second-hand items fell 2.1%.

Year-To-Date Growth Remains Positive

The positive trend extended across the first five months of the year. Between January and May, the retail turnover value index increased 7.1% compared with the same period of 2025, while the turnover volume index rose 5.9%.

Taken together, the latest figures indicate that Cyprus’ retail sector continues to benefit from resilient consumer demand. Although some categories remain under pressure, spending has remained broad-based across both essential goods and discretionary purchases, supporting steady growth in the market.

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 24, 2026

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.

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