Demographics of Cyprus

Population

838,897 in Republic of Cyprus controlled area (October 2011 census preliminary result) 294.906 in Northern Cyprus (2011 population census). 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 2001 census: 90.6% Cypriot, 9.4% Non-Cypriot 2011 census: 78.6% Cypriot, 21.4% Non-Cypriot (preliminary)

Northern Cyprus:

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

Cyprus (1901–1990)

Historical data about main demographic indicators from 1901 to 1990, for the entire island:

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

South

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

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

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

Historical population

Turkish Cypriots were the majority of the population between 1777 and 1800.

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.

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.

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). There are an estimated 20–25,000 undocumented migrants from third countries also living in the Republic, though migrant rights groups dispute these figures. The demographic changes in society have led to some racist incidents, 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).

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) and that the Turkish Cypriots in Northern Cyprus are today outnumbered by the Turkish settlers, 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. 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.

Ethnic groups

Greek 98.8%,

Other 1% (includes Maronite, Armenian, Turkish-Cypriot)

Uspecified 0.2%

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.

According to the 2001 census carried out in the Government controlled area, 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 ("Latins"), 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.

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) unless indicated otherwise.

Age structure

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%

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: 1.086 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); Deaths: 85 reported between 1986 and 2006.

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