Nearly one in three Cypriots unable to cover unexpected expenses

Cyprus sees improvement in financial security and homicide rate Nearly one in three people in Cyprus were unable to cope with unexpected financial expenses in 2025, although the proportion has fallen steadily over recent years, according to a report published on Wednesday by Eurostat. The share of the population facing this difficulty stood at 32 per cent in 2025, down from 34.8 per cent in 2024 and considerably below the 46.7 per cent recorded in 2019. The figures point to a gradual improvement in households’ ability to withstand unforeseen costs, but also show that a substantial proportion of the population remains financially vulnerable. Across the European Union, 29.2 per cent of people were unable to meet unexpected financial expenses in 2025, a slight improvement on the 30 per cent recorded in 2024. Cyprus therefore remained above the EU average, despite the progress recorded over the seven-year period. The proportion of people in Cyprus unable to cope with unexpected expenses declined from 46.7 per cent in 2019 to 43.7 per cent in 2020, before falling further to 42.1 per cent in 2021 and 40.3 per cent in 2022. The downward trend continued in subsequent years, with the figure reaching 37.5 per cent in 2023 and 34.8 per cent in 2024, before falling to its lowest level in the period covered by the data. The comparison with Greece also highlights a different recent trajectory, with the proportion of people unable to meet unexpected expenses rising sharply there in 2025. Greece recorded the highest proportion in the EU, at 50.5 per cent, followed by Latvia at 43.7 per cent and Bulgaria at 42.4 per cent. In Greece, the figure stood at 47.8 per cent in 2019 before reaching a seven-year high of 50.7 per cent in 2020. It subsequently declined to 46.3 per cent in 2021 and 43.6 per cent in 2022, before edging up to 44.3 per cent in 2023 and easing slightly to 43.9 per cent in 2024. The latest increase to 50.5 per cent represents a significant deterioration in the country’s position. At the other end of the scale, the Netherlands recorded the lowest proportion of people unable to cope with unexpected financial expenses, at 15.3 per cent, followed by Malta and the Czech Republic, both at 18.7 per cent. Eurostat said the ability to manage unexpected events can contribute to a sense of security and, consequently, influence people’s quality of life. The statistical agency also highlighted that economic security involves not only being able to meet unforeseen financial expenses but also keeping up with regular payments. It added that physical safety, including protection from crime and violence, is another important factor affecting people’s sense of security. Separate figures on police-recorded intentional homicides showed that Cyprus recorded 0.93 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024, down from 1.17 in 2014. Greece also recorded a decline over the same period, with its rate falling from 0.96 to 0.78 per 100,000 inhabitants. Across the EU, Lithuania had the highest rate of police-recorded homicides in 2024, at 2.63 per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Latvia at 2.40 and Estonia at 1.82. However, Lithuania also recorded the largest reduction in its homicide rate, which more than halved compared with 2014. Luxembourg had the lowest rate in 2024, at 0.30 per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Italy at 0.57 and the Czech Republic at 0.63. The figures provide two different measures of security across Europe, combining households’ ability to withstand financial shocks with the incidence of serious violent crime.