Capital

Zypern

name: Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa)

geographic coordinates: 35 10 N, 33 22 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: a mispronunciation of the city's Greek name Lefkosia and its Turkish name Lefkosa, both of which mean "White City"; the Greek name may derive from the Greek phrase "leuke ousia" ("white estate")

Citizenship

Zypern

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cyprus

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Legal system

Zypern

mixed legal system of English common law and civil law with European law supremacy

Suffrage

Zypern

18 years of age; universal

Area

Zypern

total: 9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)

land: 9,241 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Land use

Zypern

agricultural land: 13.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 9.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 18.8% (2018 est.)

other: 67.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Zypern

Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey; note - Cyprus views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

Age structure

Zypern

0-14 years: 15.63% (male 104,950/female 99,515)

15-64 years: 70.36% (male 484,087/female 436,271)

65 years and over: 14.01% (2023 est.) (male 79,897/female 103,400)

Birth rate

Zypern

10.4 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Zypern

7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Zypern

Greek (official) 80.9%, Turkish (official) 0.2%, English 4.1%, Romanian 2.9%, Russian 2.5%, Bulgarian 2.2%, Arabic 1.2%, Filipino 1.1%, other 4.3%, unspecified 0.6%; note - data represent only the Republic of Cyprus (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s):
Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Zypern

total population: 80 years (2023 est.)

male: 77.2 years

female: 82.9 years

Major urban areas - population

Zypern

269,000 NICOSIA (capital) (2018)

Median age

Zypern

total: 39.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 37.9 years

female: 40.6 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Zypern

30 years (2020 est.)

note: data represents only government-controlled areas

Net migration rate

Zypern

6.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Zypern

population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca

Population growth rate

Zypern

1% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Zypern

1.48 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Zypern

urban population: 67% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.76% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Zypern

6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Zypern

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 16 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Zypern

1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Zypern

8.1% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Zypern

655,100 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Zypern

14.7% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Zypern

6.13% (2021 est.)

7.59% (2020 est.)

7.07% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Zypern

97.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

106.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Zypern

2.45% (2021 est.)

-0.64% (2020 est.)

0.25% (2019 est.)

Exports

Zypern

$24.551 billion (2021 est.)

$20.379 billion (2020 est.)

$19.835 billion (2019 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - partners

Zypern

India 9%, Greece 9%, Libya 8%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)

Imports

Zypern

$23.748 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.711 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$19.575 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Zypern

Greece 16%, Italy 10%, Turkey 8%, Russia 5%, Germany 5%, United Kingdom 5%, China 5% (2019)

Airports

Zypern

15 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Zypern

total: 332,080 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Zypern

total: 809,900 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 91% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Zypern

total: 12,901 km (2016)

government control: 12,901 km (2016) (includes 272 km of expressways)

paved: 8,631 km (2016)

unpaved: 4,270 km (2016)

Turkish Cypriot control: 7,000 km (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

Zypern

total subscriptions: 304,581 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Zypern

total subscriptions: 1,320,794 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 149 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Zypern

hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the EU still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north; has had maritime/economic exclusion zone disputes with Turkey, particularly over energy exploration