Demographics of Cyprus

Population distribution by ethnicity (1960 census)

The people of Cyprus are broadly divided into two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, who share many cultural traits but maintain distinct identities based on ethnicity, religion, language, and close ties with their respective motherlands. Before the dispute started in 1964 the peoples of Cyprus (then 77% Greek Cypriots, 18% Turkish Cypriots, 5% other communities, including Armenians and Maronites)^[1] were dispersed over the entire island.

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 de facto partitioned the island into two political areas: 99.5% of Greek Cypriots now live in the Republic of Cyprus, while 98.7% of Turkish Cypriots live in Northern Cyprus (of other nationalities, 99.2% live in the Greek Cypriot area in the south).^[2] Greek is predominantly spoken in the South, where the majority are Greek Cypriots, Turkish in the north, where the majority are Turkish Cypriots. English is widely used over all of the island.

The total population of Cyprus as of the end of 2006 is slightly over 1 million, comprising 789,300 in the territory controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus^[3] and 294,406 in Northern Cyprus. The population of Northern Cyprus includes some 150,000–160,000 Turkish immigrants who are regarded as "illegal settlers" by the Republic of Cyprus government and are not included in the population statistics of the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service.^[4][5]

Population

Urban skyline of Nicosia

838,897 in Republic of Cyprus controlled area (October 2011 census preliminary result)^[6]

294.906 in Northern Cyprus (2011 population census).^[7]

1,133,803 total population of Cyprus (sum of population in Government controlled area and Northern Cyprus, 2011 data)

Population by citizenship

Republic of Cyprus government controlled area:

1992 census: 95.8% Cypriot, 4.2% Non-Cypriot^[8]

2001 census: 90.6% Cypriot, 9.4% Non-Cypriot^[8]

2011 census: 78.6% Cypriot, 21.4% Non-Cypriot (preliminary)^[6]

Northern Cyprus:^[7]

2006 census (de facto population): 66.7% TRNC, 29.3% Turkey, 4.0% other

Vital statistics

Cyprus (1901–1990)

Cyprus: population growth 1961–2003 (numbers for the entire island, excluding in recent years some 150,000 Turkish immigrants residing in Northern Cyprus).

Historical data about main demographic indicators from 1901 to 1990, for the entire island:^[9][10][11]

	Average population (x 1000)	Live births^1	Deaths^1	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1000)	Crude death rate (per 1000)	Natural change (per 1000)
1901	238	7 300	4 300	3 000	30.6	18.1	12.5
1902	241	6 700	3 500	3 200	28.0	14.6	13.4
1903	245	7 000	3 600	3 400	28.6	14.6	14.0
1904	249	7 600	3 700	3 900	30.4	14.8	15.6
1905	253	7 500	4 500	3 000	29.6	17.7	11.9
1906	257	7 900	4 100	3 800	30.7	15.8	14.9
1907	260	8 200	4 600	3 600	31.4	17.7	13.7
1908	264	8 700	5 200	3 500	32.9	19.7	13.2
1909	268	8 000	4 500	3 500	29.8	16.9	12.9
1910	271	8 700	4 100	4 600	32.1	15.2	16.9
1911	275	8 700	4 500	4 200	31.6	16.2	15.4
1912	279	8 000	4 900	3 100	28.5	17.7	10.8
1913	283	8 700	5 300	3 400	30.7	18.8	11.9
1914	287	9 500	5 100	4 400	33.1	17.6	15.5
1915	291	10 000	5 800	4 200	34.3	19.8	14.5
1916	294	5 900	5 300	600	20.0	17.9	2.1
1917	297	8 800	5 400	3 400	29.5	18.2	11.3
1918	301	9 900	6 900	3 000	32.9	22.9	10.0
1919	305	8 900	5 200	3 700	29.2	17.2	12.0
1920	309	9 100	7 400	1 700	29.5	23.9	5.6
1921	312	8 400	6 200	2 200	26.8	20.0	6.8
1922	315	9 000	6 200	2 800	28.6	19.6	9.0
1923	318	8 100	5 700	2 400	25.5	18.0	7.5
1924	322	8 800	5 600	3 200	27.3	17.4	9.9
1925	326	8 300	4 700	3 600	25.6	14.4	11.2
1926	330	8 500	5 600	2 900	25.9	17.1	8.8
1927	333	8 400	5 200	3 200	25.2	15.6	9.6
1928	337	9 700	5 100	4 600	28.9	15.2	13.7
1929	341	10 400	4 600	5 800	30.4	13.5	16.9
1930	345	11 100	5 700	5 400	32.1	16.4	15.7
1931	349	10 500	5 900	4 600	30.2	17.0	13.2
1932	352	10 100	5 740	4 360	28.7	16.3	12.4
1933	356	9 750	4 910	4 840	27.4	13.8	13.6
1934	360	10 852	4 757	6 095	30.1	13.2	16.9
1935	363	11 735	4 976	6 759	32.3	13.7	18.6
1936	367	12 727	4 656	8 071	34.7	12.7	22.0
1937	371	10 954	6 334	4 620	29.5	17.1	12.5
1938	376	11 804	5 445	6 359	31.4	14.5	16.9
1939	393	12 214	5 519	6 695	31.1	14.0	17.0
1940	401	13 254	4 678	8 576	33.1	11.7	21.4
1941	409	11 402	5 058	6 344	27.9	12.4	15.5
1942	412	9 221	6 747	2 474	22.4	16.4	6.0
1943	416	12 405	5 155	7 250	29.8	12.4	17.4
1944	425	14 330	4 263	10 067	33.7	10.0	23.7
1945	435	13 269	4 111	9 158	30.5	9.5	21.1
1946	447	14 482	3 793	10 689	32.4	11.0	23.9
1947	458	15 158	3 875	11 283	33.1	11.0	24.6
1948	477	15 078	5 250	9 828	31.6	11.0	20.6
1949	485	13 234	5 290	7 944	27.3	11.0	16.4
1950	494	14 517	5 340	9 187	29.4	11.0	18.6
1951	502	14 403	5 370	9 043	28.7	10.5	18.0
1952	508	13 358	5 380	7 968	26.3	10.5	15.7
1953	515	13 446	5 410	8 036	26.1	10.5	15.6
1954	523	13 893	5 490	8 403	26.6	10.5	16.1
1955	530	13 747	5 570	8 177	25.9	10.5	15.4
1956	536	13 875	5 630	8 215	25.9	10.5	15.3
1957	546	14 100	5 730	8 350	25.8	10.5	15.3
1958	558	14 320	5 860	8 480	25.7	10.5	15.2
1959	567	14 411	5 950	8 491	25.4	10.5	15.0
1960	573	14 500	6 020	8 510	25.3	10.5	14.9
1961	575	15 059	6 206	8 853	26.2	10.8	15.4
1962	577	14 787	6 101	8 686	25.6	10.6	15.0
1963	582	14 602	6 079	8 523	25.1	10.4	14.6
1964	587	14 224	6 206	8 018	24.2	10.6	13.7
1965	591	13 707	6 061	7 646	23.2	10.3	12.9
1966	595	13 250	5 991	7 259	22.3	10.1	12.2
1967	599	12 788	5 971	6 817	21.3	10.0	11.4
1968	604	12 403	5 958	6 445	20.5	9.9	10.7
1969	609	12 046	5 946	6 100	19.8	9.8	10.0
1970	614	11 801	5 998	5 803	19.2	9.8	9.4
1971	620	11 641	5 983	5 658	18.8	9.7	9.1
1972	627	11 620	6 043	5 577	18.5	9.6	8.9
1973	634	11 600	6 047	5 553	18.3	9.5	8.8
1974	630	10 578	6 900	3 678	16.8	11.0	5.8
1975	610	9 768	4 823	4 945	16.0	7.9	8.1
1976	599	11 194	5 148	6 046	18.7	8.6	10.1
1977	599	10 951	5 445	5 506	18.3	9.1	9.2
1978	601	11 299	5 048	6 251	18.8	8.4	10.4
1979	605	11 920	5 083	6 837	19.7	8.4	11.3
1980	611	12 464	5 682	6 782	20.4	9.3	11.1
1981	618	12 111	5 190	6 921	19.6	8.4	11.2
1982	625	12 985	5 307	7 678	20.8	8.5	12.3
1983	632	13 078	5 433	7 645	20.7	8.6	12.1
1984	640	13 182	5 119	8 063	20.6	8.0	12.6
1985	648	12 622	5 502	7 120	19.5	8.5	11.0
1986	654	12 753	5 494	7 259	19.5	8.4	11.1
1987	660	12 331	5 869	6 462	18.7	8.9	9.8
1988	665	12 753	5 845	6 908	19.2	8.8	10.4
1989	671	12 141	5 702	6 439	18.1	8.5	9.6

¹ The numbers of births and deaths 1901–1932 are estimates calculated from the birth and death rates.

South

Population map of Cyprus. Darker colors represent more residents.

Population density map of Cyprus (2001 census)

Historical data about main demographic indicators from 1990 to 2013, for the southern part of the island:^[11]

	Average population (x 1000)	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1000)	Crude death rate (per 1000)	Natural change (per 1000)	Total fertility rate	Infant mortality rate
1990	581	10 622	4 844	5 778	18.3	8.3	9.9	2.4	11.0
1991	594	9 486	4 455	5 031	16.0	7.5	8.5
1992	610	9 240	4 386	4 854	15.2	7.2	8.0
1993	626	10 514	4 789	5 725	16.8	7.6	9.1
1994	639	10 379	4 924	5 455	16.2	7.7	8.5
1995	651	9 869	4 935	4 934	15.2	7.6	7.6	2.0	8.5
1996	661	9 638	4 958	4 680	14.6	7.5	7.1	2.0	8.3
1997	671	9 275	5 173	4 102	13.8	7.7	6.1	1.9	8.0
1998	679	8 879	5 432	3 447	13.1	8.0	5.1	1.8	7.0
1999	687	8 505	5 070	3 435	12.4	7.4	5.0	1.7	6.0
2000	694	8 447	5 355	3 092	12.2	7.7	4.5	1.6	5.6
2001	702	8 167	4 827	3 340	11.6	6.9	4.8	1.6	4.9
2002	710	7 883	5 168	2 715	11.1	7.3	3.8	1.5	4.7
2003	718	8 088	5 200	2 888	11.2	7.2	4.0	1.51	4.1
2004	728	8 309	5 225	3 084	11.2	7.1	4.2	1.52	3.5
2005	739	8 243	5 420	2 823	10.9	7.2	3.7	1.48	4.6
2006	751	8 731	5 127	3 604	11.3	6.6	4.7	1.52	3.1
2007	767	8 575	5 380	3 195	10.9	6.9	4.1	1.44	3.1
2008	787	9 205	5 194	4 011	11.6	6.5	5.1	1.48	3.5
2009	808	9 608	5 182	4 426	12.0	6.5	5.5	1.48	3.3
2010	829	9 801	5 103	4 698	11.7	6.1	5.6	1.44	3.2
2011	851	9 622	5 504	4 118	11.2	6.4	4.8	1.45	3.1
2012	865	10 151	5 665	4 486	11.8	6.6	5.2	1.49	3.5
2013	858	9 290	5 257	4 033	10.8	6.1	4.7	1.51
2014	847	9 258	5 141	4 117	10.8	6.0	4.8

Life expectancy at birth

Estimates for 2004/05

Total population: 79.35 years

Males: 77.00 years

Females: 81.7 years

Structure of the population ^[12]

Structure of the population (01.10.2011) (Census) (Data refer to government controlled areas) :

Age Group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	408 780	431 627	840 407	100
0-4	23 061	21 954	45 015	5,36
5-9	21 921	20 714	42 635	5,07
10-14	24 179	23 119	47 298	5,63
15-19	28 683	27 135	55 818	6,64
20-24	33 891	32 182	66 073	7,86
25-29	36 992	37 122	74 114	8,82
30-34	33 149	36 685	69 834	8,31
35-39	27 754	34 108	61 862	7,36
40-44	27 031	32 697	59 728	7,11
45-49	27 059	30 181	57 240	6,81
50-54	27 517	28 611	56 128	6,68
55-59	23 771	23 991	47 762	5,68
60-64	22 057	22 977	45 034	5,36
65-69	17 656	18 672	36 328	4,32
70-74	14 044	15 389	29 433	3,50
75-79	9 647	11 411	21 058	2,51
80+	10 342	14 606	24 948	2,97
unknown	26	73	99	0,01

Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0-14	69 161	65 787	134 948	16,06
15-64	287 904	305 689	593 593	70,63
65+	51 689	60 078	111 767	13,30

Historical population

Turkish Cypriots were the majority of the population between 1777 and 1800.^[13][14]

Distribution of Turkish Cypriots (1891–1973)

Population of Cyprus by ethnicity 1777–1800

Ethnic group	census 1777^1		census 1790^2		census 1793^3		census 1800^4
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Greeks	37,000	44.0	47,500	41.5	46,392	39.3	30,524	31.3
Turks	47,000	56.0	67,000	58.5	67,000	58.8	67,000	68.7
Armenians
Maronites
Others					4,608	3.9
Total	84,000		114,500		118,000		97,524

Population of Cyprus according to ethnicity (1881–1960)

Ethnic group	1881 census[15]		1891 census[15]		1901 census[15]		1911 census[15]		1921 census[15]		1931 census[15]		1946 census		1960 census
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Greeks	137,631	73.9	158,585	75.8	182,739	77.1	214,480	78.2	244,887	78.8	276,572	79.5	361,199	80.2	442,363	77.1
Turks	45,458	24.4	47,926	22.9	51,309	21.6	56,428	20.6	61,339	19.7	64,238	18.5	80,548	17.9	104,333	18.2
Armenians	174	0.1	280	0.1	517	0.2	558	0.2	1,197	0.4	3,377	1	3,686	0.8	3,630
Maronites	830	0.4	1,131	0.5	1,130	0.5	1,073		1,350		1,704		2,083		2,752
Others	1,738	0.9	1.364	0.7	1,327	0.6	1,569		1,942		2,068		2,598		20,488
Total	186,173		209,286		237,022		274,108		310,715		347,959		450,114		573,566

In the census from 1881 to 1960, all Muslims are counted as Turks, only Greek Orthodox are counted as Greeks. There were small populations of Greek-speaking Muslims and Turkish-speaking Greek Orthodox.^[16]

In total, between 1955 and 1973, 16,519 Turks and 71,036 Greeks emigrated from the country. Of the emigrated Turkish Cypriots in this period, only 290 went to Turkey.^[17]

Immigration

Large-scale demographic changes have been caused since 1964 by the movements of peoples across the island and the later influx of settlers from Turkey to Northern Cyprus. According to the 2011 Census there are 170,383 non-citizens living in Cyprus, of whom 106,270 are EU citizens and 64,113 are from third countries. The largest EU groups by nationality are Greeks (29,321), British (24,046), Romanians (23,706) and Bulgarians (18,536). The largest non-EU groups are Filipinos (9,413), Russians (8,164), Sri Lankans (7,269) and Vietnamese (7,028).^[18] There are an estimated 20–25,000 undocumented migrants from third countries also living in the Republic, though migrant rights groups dispute these figures.^[19] The demographic changes in society have led to some racist incidents,^[20][21][22] and the formation of the charity KISA in response.

The demographic character of Northern Cyprus changed after the Turkish invasion in 1974 and especially during the last 10–15 years. The TRNC census carried out in April 2006 showed that out of a total population of 256,644 in Northern Cyprus, 132,635, or 52%, were Turkish Cypriots in the sense that they were born in Cyprus of at least one Cyprus-born parent (for 120,007 of these both parents were Cyprus-born). In addition, 43,062 TRNC citizens (17%) had at least one non-Cypriot Turkish-born parent, 2,334 TRNC citizens (1%) had parents born in other countries, 70,525 residents (27%) had Turkish citizenship, and 8,088 (3%) were citizens of other countries (mainly UK, Bulgaria, and Iran).^[7]

Based on these census data, it is estimated that 113,687 TRNC residents, or 44% of the population, are not Turkish Cypriots properly speaking, but are in fact "Turkish immigrants" or "Turkish settlers" from Anatolia. Alternative sources suggest that there are 146,122 Turkish settlers from Anatolia in TRNC (2007 figures)^[23] and that the Turkish Cypriots in Northern Cyprus are today outnumbered by the Turkish settlers,^[24] contrary to the picture presented by the 2006 TRNC census.

Almost one-third of the Turkish settlers in Northern Cyprus have been granted TRNC citizenship by the authorities of Northern Cyprus and have thus been naturalized.^[25] The Republic of Cyprus regards settlement in Northern Cyprus, especially if accompanied by naturalization, as a violation of the Geneva Conventions Protocol of 1977, since the Turkish occupation has been declared illegal by the UN. It therefore considers these Turkish immigrants to be "illegal settlers" and does not include them in the population estimates for the entire island published by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service.^[5]

Emigration

Ethnic groups

According to the 2011 census, combined with 2006 Northern Cyprus data, the ethnic composition for the entire island was 60% Greek, 24% Turkish, and 16% other.

Largest foreign ethnic groups (2011)^[6]

Ethnic group	%	Inhabitants
Greece	17.3	31,044
United Kingdom	14.8	26,659
Romania	13.6	24,376
Bulgaria	10.7	19,197
Philippines	10.7	19,197
Russia	4.8	8,663
Sri Lanka	4.1	7,350
Vietnam	4.0	7,102
Syria	1.8	3,235
Ukraine	1.7	3,023
India	1.6	2,955
Poland	1.6	2,951
Georgia	1.2	2,113
Germany	0.6	1,162
Other EU countries	4	7,035
Other non-EU countries	12	22,938

Languages

Greek and Turkish are the official languages according to Article 3 of the Constitution of Cyprus. In Northern Cyprus, the official language is Turkish (Article 2 of the 1983 Constitution of Northern Cyprus). English is widely spoken on the island, and Russian has become fairly widespread in recent years due to the influx of immigrants and investors from CIS countries.

Religion

The Greek Cypriot community adheres to the Autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot community adheres to Islam. The religious groups of Armenians, Maronites and Latins (about 9,000 people in total) opted, in accordance with the 1960 constitution, to belong to the Greek Cypriot community.^[4]

According to the 2001 census carried out in the Government controlled area,^[8] 98.2% of the population are Christians of various denominations. 94.8% of the population are Christian Orthodox, 0.9% Armenians and Maronites, 1.5% Roman Catholics, 1.0% Church of England, and 0.6% Muslims. The remaining 1.3% adhere to other religious denominations or did not state their religion. Cyprus is also the home of a Jewish community with a Synagogue in Larnaca.

Education

Cyprus has a well-developed system of primary and secondary education. The majority of Cypriots earn their higher education at Greek, Turkish, British, or American universities, while there are also sizeable emigrant communities in the United Kingdom and Australia. Private colleges and state-supported universities have been developed by both the Turkish and Greek communities.

Demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.^[26]

The data in subsections Age structure through Divorce rate are for the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus government only. The estimates are for 2007 from the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Abstract 2007 (pp. 63–88)^[5] unless indicated otherwise.

Age structure

Age structure of the population of Cyprus

0–14 years: 17.47% or 137,900 ( 70,700 males/67,200 females)

15–64 years: 70.07% or 553,100 ( 274,300 males/278,800 females)

65 years and over: 12.46% or 98,300 ( 44,600 males/53,700 females)

Population growth rate

1.4%^[27]

Net migration rate

Total immigrants: 19,142

Total emigrants: 11,752

Net migration: +7,390

Net migration rate: 9.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.087 male(s)/female

Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female

Marriage rates

Estimates for 2006

Number of marriages:

Marriages of residents of Cyprus: 5,252

Total marriages (including tourists): 12,617

Marriage rates:

Residents of Cyprus: 6.8/1,000 population

Total marriages (including tourists): 16.4/1,000 population

Mean age at marriage:

Groom 33.7

Bride 30.5

Divorce rates

Total Divorces: 200,000

Divorce Rate: 2.27/1,000 population

Nationality

Noun: Cypriot(s)

Adjective: Cypriot

HIV/AIDS

Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)

People living with HIV/AIDS: fewer than 1,000 (1999 est.); 518 cases reported between 1986 and 2006 (58% Cypriots, 42% foreigners/visitors);^[28]

Deaths: 85 reported between 1986 and 2006.^[28]

"The information presented here concerns only part of Cyprus, due to an absence of reliable information concerning the island as a whole".^[28]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2006 edition".

1. Eric Solsten, ed. Cyprus: A Country Study, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 1991
2. Cyprus Facts on Worldpress.org. Retrieved 29 February 2009
3. Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus, DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT 2007 (p. 12)
4. Cyprus Government web portal: Towns and Population. Retrieved on 28 February 2009
5. Statistical Abstract of the Republic of Cyprus 2007, Statistical Service of Cyprus, pp. 63–88
6. Preliminary Results of the Census of Population, 2011 Preliminary Results of the Census of Population, 2011
8. Statistical Service of Cyprus: Population and Social Statistics, Main Results of the 2001 Census. Retrieved on 29 February 2009
9. B.R. Mitchell. European historical statistics. 1750–1975.
10. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dybsets/1948%20DYB.pdf United nations. Demographic Yearbook 1948
11. Statistical Service of Cyprus
12. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm
13. Claude Delaval Cobham Excerpta Cypria, Cambridge University Press, 1908, p.366-67
14. Archimandrite Kyprianos Istoria Khronoloyiki tis Nisou Kiprou (History and Chronicles of the Island of Cyprus, Ιστορία χρονολογική της νήσου Κύπρου) 1788, p.495
15. Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra. The Armenians of Cyprus. p. 21.
16. A Handbook of Cyprus, Hutchinson, Joseph Turner, page 57, 1907
17. Hatay, Mete (2007). "Is the Turkish Cypriot population shrinking?: an overview of the ethno-demography of Cyprus in the light of the preliminary results of the 2006 Turkish-Cypriot census" (PDF). International Peace Research Institute. p. 64.
18. http://www.cyprus-mail.com/population-census/greeks-main-group-foreigners-living-island/20120720
19. http://cms.horus.be/files/99907/MediaArchive/Events/Study_Visits/KISA%20Intervention.pdf
20. "My girl thought she was going to die" Archived February 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
21. "Why the Republic of Cyprus is institutionally racist" Archived February 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
22. "Teen says beaten and mocked by police in racist incident"</ Archived February 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
23. Çalışma Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı
24. The Turkish Settlers in Northern Cyprus, www.cyprus-conflict.net, quoting "Fresh Tension for Cyprus: Counting the Newcomers" in The New York Times, January 23, 1991. Archived March 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
25. Today's Zaman
26. CIA – The World Factbook – Cyprus
27. Population of Cyprus: end of 2007, Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus, Press Release 06/10/2008. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
28. Cyprus: Sexually transmitted infections/HIV/AIDS, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, June 2008.

• EU27 population projections 2008–2060, Eurostat Newsrelease 119/2008, 26 August 2008.