Excess Mortality Reported in Cyprus

According to Eurostat, the European statistics agency, Cyprus recorded the second-highest mortality rate among EU member states, with peak figures reported in November 2024. However, the Ministry of Health disputes these findings, challenging the reported excess mortality rates.

Eurostat's data shows an 18% excess mortality rate, placing Finland in first place with 18.4%. However, as reported by AlphaNews, the methodology used by Eurostat differs significantly from the official calculations of the Ministry of Health.

"In absolute numbers, there were 509 deaths in November 2024. The average for November during the period 2016–2019 was 477 deaths—32 fewer. This translates to a 6.7% increase, not 18%. It’s unclear how Eurostat arrived at this figure," a Ministry of Health representative explained.

Senior medical officer Ioanna Grigoriou highlighted discrepancies in Eurostat's earlier reports, which cited excess mortality rates of 16% in September, 21.5% in August, 31.8% in July, and 28.6% in June for Cyprus.

In November, other countries with high excess mortality rates included the Netherlands (13.9%), Germany (13.8%), and Slovenia (13.5%).

"The way the baseline mortality rate is determined appears to vary depending on the organization. It also depends on the time period and statistical models used. For example, Euromomo, which uses a different baseline calculation, has found no evidence of excess mortality in Cyprus," Grigoriou explained.

The report also emphasized that aside from aging, cardiovascular diseases and cancer remain the leading causes of death in Cyprus.

It is worth noting that in 2023, Cyprus’s population grew by 1.8% compared to 2022. While birth rates remained stable, there was a decline in deaths, marriages, and divorces, and life expectancy improved.