Northern Cyprus Ranks 17th in Youth Unemployment in Europe

Northern Cyprus ranks 17th among European countries in terms of youth unemployment, with a rate of 14.9%.

This ranking was compiled by Kıbrıs Postası based on an analysis of Trading Economics data on youth unemployment across European Union (EU) countries, as well as findings from the 2023 Household Labour Force Survey conducted in Northern Cyprus.

The study found that the youth unemployment rate in Northern Cyprus is comparable to the EU average. According to Trading Economics, the average youth unemployment rate in the EU stands at 15.9%.

Among European countries, Switzerland has the lowest youth unemployment rate at just 2.8%, followed by Germany at 6.4%. The highest rates were recorded in Spain and Romania, both at 25.3%, and Sweden at 23.4%.

Data from the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) of the Northern Cyprus Statistical Institute for 2023 shows that the overall unemployment rate in Northern Cyprus is 5.1%. However, youth unemployment—specifically among those aged 15-24—is significantly higher at 14.9%.

With this figure, Northern Cyprus ranks 17th out of 29 European countries in terms of youth unemployment.

Breaking it down by gender, the youth unemployment rate stands at 12.9% for men and 17.5% for women.

Regionally, Famagusta recorded the highest unemployment rate at 7.2%, while Nicosia had the lowest at 2.3%. Other regions reported the following rates: Kyrenia at 5.5%, Güzelyurt at 6.1%, and Lefke at 4.3%.

For comparison, the youth unemployment rate in the Republic of Cyprus currently stands at 11.9%.