Cyprus smashes EU employment targets five years early

Cyprus had one of the European Union’s highest employment rates among people aged 20 to 64 in 2025, reaching 81.3 per cent, according to Eurostat. The figure put Cyprus higher than the EU average of 76.1 per cent and above the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan target of 78 per cent for 2030. The EU employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 rose to 76.1 per cent in 2025, the highest level recorded since the statistical series began in 2009. This left the bloc’s overall employment rate 1.9 percentage points below its 2030 target. Cyprus was among the EU regions that had already reached or exceeded that target in 2025. At the NUTS 2 statistical level, Cyprus is treated as a single region because of its size, meaning its 81.3 per cent employment rate was counted as one regional result. Almost half of all EU NUTS 2 regions, or 47.1 per cent, had reached or surpassed the 78.0 per cent target in 2025. Eurostat said 115 regions had achieved the target, with the regions forming distinct clusters across several member states. All eight regions in the Czech Republic had reached or exceeded the target, as had four of Denmark’s five regions. In Germany, 34 of 38 regions had met or surpassed the target, while all three regions in Ireland had also done so. Six of Hungary’s eight regions, all 12 regions in the Netherlands, seven of Portugal’s nine regions, three of Slovakia’s four regions and all eight regions in Sweden had also reached the 2030 target. Estonia, Cyprus and Malta also met or exceeded the target, with each country represented by a single NUTS 2 region. The highest employment rates were recorded in six regions where the proportion of people aged 20 to 64 in employment reached at least 85.0 per cent. The Polish capital region of Warszawski stoteczny recorded the highest rate at 86.9 per cent. Praha in the Czech Republic followed with 86.0 per cent, while the Aland Islands in Finland recorded 85.5 per cent. Utrecht in the Netherlands had an employment rate of 85.4 per cent, followed by Oberbayern in southern Germany at 85.1 per cent. Mellersta Norrland in northern Sweden recorded 85.0 per cent, the figures showed. Cyprus’ 81.3 per cent employment rate therefore placed it comfortably above the EU’s 2030 target, although below the six highest-performing regions. The figures measure the proportion of people aged 20 to 64 who were in employment and provide a regional picture of progress towards the EU’s 2030 employment objective.