**Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Cyprus Rise by Over 67% Since 1990**
As Europe grapples with climate change, a new report from Eurostat reveals a stark contrast in greenhouse gas emissions trends between Cyprus and the broader European Union. While emissions across the EU have decreased by 34.9% since 1990, Cyprus has seen a significant increase of 67.1% over the same period, according to Eurostat's 2026 Regional Yearbook published on Wednesday.
The report highlights that Cyprus is among the European regions experiencing the largest increases in emissions. In 2008, emissions in Cyprus were reported to be 77% higher than in 1990. Following a brief decline over five consecutive years, emissions have since resumed a generally upward trajectory. By 2024, emissions in Cyprus were only 5.5% lower than their peak in 2008.
Several factors contribute to this rise in emissions. Eurostat indicates that Cyprus's continued reliance on fossil fuels, coupled with rising energy consumption, transportation demands, waste management issues, and household consumption patterns, have all played a role. Additionally, the economic growth in Cyprus has outpaced any reductions in carbon intensity, further exacerbating the situation.
The report also addresses the impact of climate conditions on the island. In 2024, approximately 13% of Cyprus's land area was affected by drought, characterized by a failure of vegetation productivity to return to levels recorded between 2000 and 2020. This places Cyprus among the countries with notable drought impacts, although it is significantly lower than Malta, which reported 57.5% of its land area affected.
In the context of the EU, Cyprus ranks fourth in drought impact, following Malta, Bulgaria (20.1%), and Romania (17.5%). The report notes that a total of 290 out of 1,160 European regions faced prolonged drought conditions in 2024.
In addition to environmental concerns, the Eurostat report touches on education and digital engagement in Cyprus. The island recorded the largest gender gap in tertiary education enrollment in master’s programs, with 57.7% of female students participating compared to 35.6% of male students. This disparity is notable when compared to EU averages, which stand at 31.3% for women and 27.1% for men. Furthermore, Cyprus is one of only four European regions where over half of tertiary education students are pursuing postgraduate degrees.
Digital usage statistics also reveal that Cyprus is among 24 EU regions where at least 80% of the population aged 16 to 74 actively uses social media, significantly higher than the EU average of 67.3%. Additionally, Cyprus has achieved or surpassed the 2025 European goal of 78% employment among individuals aged 20 to 64, with an employment rate of 76.1% in 2025.
Agricultural practices in Cyprus are also highlighted in the Eurostat yearbook. In 2022, 21.1% of agricultural land in Cyprus featured characteristic rural landscape elements, such as tree rows and stone walls, which is among the highest percentages in Europe compared to the EU average of 5.6%. However, the adoption of precision crop monitoring technologies remains low, with no farms in Cyprus utilizing such technologies in 2023, mirroring the situation in Greece's Ionian islands. The EU average for this technology use is 3.2%.
As Cyprus continues to navigate the challenges posed by rising greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts, the latest Eurostat report underscores the need for effective strategies to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable practices across various sectors.