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Cyprus Youth Stay With Parents Longer Than EU Average

Young people in Cyprus leave their parents’ homes at an average age of 27, slightly later than the EU average of 26, according to new Eurostat data released for International Youth Day.

The survey covers people aged 15 to 29, who account for around 17% of Cyprus’ population.

Employment And Education

Cyprus has a relatively high youth employment rate, with 55.2% of young people reporting that they are employed, compared with 49.1% across the EU. At the same time, youth unemployment has fallen significantly over the past decade, dropping from 24.5% in 2015 to 9.3% in 2025.

Education levels are also relatively high, with 30.6% of young people in Cyprus holding higher education qualifications. Online learning is gaining ground as well. In 2025, 27.4% of young people attended online courses, while 21% reported having digital skills above the basic level.

Social Media And Life Satisfaction

Social media remains particularly widespread among young people in Cyprus, with 99.3% saying they use social media. That was the highest rate recorded across the EU.

Despite differences in employment, education and living arrangements, Cypriot young people reported relatively high levels of life satisfaction.

On a scale from zero to 10, they gave their lives an average score of 7.7.

Cyprus Has One Of The EU’s Oldest Teaching Workforces

Only 3% of teachers in Cyprus are under 30, putting the country alongside Portugal for the lowest share of young teachers in the European Union, according to a European Commission report. The figure is well below the EU average of 8%, while Malta has the highest proportion at 17%, followed by Belgium and Luxembourg at around 15%.

Cyprus is also the only EU member state identified in the report as having a surplus of teachers, despite the workforce being relatively old.

Older Teachers Remain Highly Satisfied

The teaching profession appears to remain attractive to those already working in it. In 2024, 73% of Cypriot teachers said they were satisfied with their salaries, compared with just 37.3% across the EU. Job satisfaction was also high, reaching 93% in Cyprus versus 90% across the bloc.

The age gap is particularly visible in secondary education, where teachers in Cyprus averaged 46 years old in 2024, compared with 45 across OECD member states. Only 4% were under 30, while 33% were aged 50 or older.

Reform Could Change The System

The findings come as Cyprus moves toward the final stage of its teacher evaluation reform. Until August next year, vacancies will continue to be divided between the old appointment list and the newer system introduced in 2015.

From next September, first-appointment vacancies will be filled exclusively through the new list. The European Commission has meanwhile called for stronger efforts to attract and retain younger teachers, including through better working conditions and greater support for people entering the profession.

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