Child Poverty Continues to Decline in Cyprus

Child poverty levels in Cyprus are steadily declining, with around 26,000 children considered at risk in 2024.

Speaking to CyBC radio, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Marilena Evangelou cited the latest figures from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency, which show Cyprus ranking second-lowest among EU member states in terms of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

According to the data, 14.8% of children in Cyprus — approximately 26,000 — were classified as at risk in 2024. This represents a 1.9% decrease compared to 2023.

“Cyprus has made significant and measurable progress over the past few years. The government’s aim is to ensure that no child on the island faces the risk of poverty or social exclusion,” said Evangelou.

Across the EU, the child poverty rate fell by 0.6% between 2023 and 2024. However, around 19.5 million children — or 24.2% of the EU’s youth population — still live in poverty.

The highest rates were recorded in Bulgaria (35.1%), Spain (34.6%), and Romania (33.8%). On the other end of the spectrum, Slovenia had the lowest rate at 11.8%, followed by Cyprus (14.8%) and the Czech Republic (15.4%).