Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus)

https://www.humantruth.info/cyprus.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Cyprus Republic of Cyprus
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	31st best
Capital	Nicosia
Land Area	9 240km²₁
Location	Asia, Europe, The Mediterranean, The Middle East
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	1.2m₂
Life Expectancy	81.20yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$38 188 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	CY, CYP, 196₅
Internet Domain	.cy₆
Currency	Euro (EUR)₇
Telephone	+357₈

1. Overview

#cyprus #eu #greece #human_rights #turkey #UK

“A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. The election of a new Cypriot president in 2008 served as the impetus for the UN to encourage both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reopen unification negotiations. In September 2008, the leaders of the two communities began discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“This island country possesses a fractured identity, a passionate people, and a culture, landscape and lifestyle that capture the imagination and produce plenty of surprises. ... Cyprus reflects its proximity to Asia and the Middle East in its culture, cuisine and history. Similarly evocative is the contrast between old and new, particularly evident in the capital, Nicosia (Lefkosia), where dilapidated buildings sit round the corner from smart boutiques and arty bars.
And yet with a stunning landscape and overall mild climate outside is where it´s at. From the varied beaches to the pine-clad interior, you can swim, dive, hike, bike, wine and dine, and, in winter, even ski.
Digging into the island´s past has unearthed extraordinary relics, including Neolithic dwellings, Bronze Age and Phoenician tombs and exquisite Roman mosaics. And while on the streets, keep your eyes peeled for Venetian walls, Byzantine castles and churches, Roman monasteries and Islamic mosques.
Experiencing the intrinsically different Greek and Turkish societies of the island´s present is increasingly easy for visitors - and will give a fuller picture of the complex and fractured Cypriot identity.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

The EU has acted on behalf of its member states on many occasions to support, foster, fund and encourage human rights protections in every region of the world, with agreement of its member states through the European Parliament. The protections of workers' rights and their harmonisations (which stops companies moving staff to countries with the weakest laws) has had great effect in stopping workforce abuse₁₁. According to Human Rights Watch's comprehensive review for the year 2017, in addition to vocal and public pronouncements on poor human rights records of many countries, the EU has also acted through economic sanctions, political pressure and used other means to incentivize the adoption of human rights protections, even if these measures harm EU trading₁₂. It is to Cyprus's credit that it supports the EU in these actions.

2. Cyprus National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₃
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₃
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
26	UAE	0.911
27	Spain	0.905
28	France	0.903
29	Cyprus	0.896
30	Italy	0.895
31	Estonia	0.890
32	Czechia	0.889
33	Greece	0.887
	The Mediterranean Avg	0.81
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₃
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₃
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
35	Malta	$38 884
36	Czechia	$38 745
37	Spain	$38 354
38	Cyprus	$38 188
39	Estonia	$38 048
40	Lithuania	$37 931
41	Portugal	$33 155
42	Poland	$33 034
	The Mediterranean Avg	$23 885
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
28	Hungary	52.6
29	Uruguay	52.8
30	Poland	52.8
31	Cyprus	54.3
32	Slovakia	55.0
33	Estonia	56.2
34	Costa Rica	56.2
35	Malta	56.2
	The Mediterranean Avg	71.0
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Cyprus's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Cyprus's population is predicted to rise to 1.301 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.31. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₅. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₆

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
153	Equatorial Guinea	1.3m
154	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.3m
155	Mauritius	1.3m
156	Cyprus	1.2m
157	Swaziland	1.1m
158	Djibouti	1.0m
159	Fiji	0.9m
160	Comoros	0.8m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₃
Pos.		2021 Years₁₃
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
23	Netherlands	81.7
24	Austria	81.6
25	Denmark	81.4
26	Cyprus	81.2
27	Portugal	81.0
28	San Marino	80.9
29	UK	80.7
30	Slovenia	80.7
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₇
Pos.		2022₁₇
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
118=	Mauritius	1.32
118=	Finland	1.32
120	Thailand	1.32
121	Cyprus	1.31
122	Luxembourg	1.31
123=	Curaço	1.30
123=	Bermuda	1.30
125	Syria	2.70
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₈
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₈
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
130	China	25.3
131	Mauritius	25.9
132	Uruguay	26.8
133	Cyprus	26.9
134	Chile	27.0
135	Macedonia	27.7
136	Luxembourg	28.3
137	Armenia	28.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₉
Pos.		2017 %₁₉
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
26	Sweden	17.6%
27	Equatorial Guinea	17.5%
28	Ireland	16.9%
29	Cyprus	16.0%
30	Belize	16.0%
31	San Marino	15.7%
32	Bahamas	15.6%
33	Maldives	15.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₂₀
Pos.		2010 %₂₀
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
33	Eritrea	18.0%
34	Croatia	17.1%
35	Liechtenstein	17.1%
36	Cyprus	17.0%
37	Marshall Islands	16.6%
38	Ireland	16.1%
39	Belize	16.1%
40	Azerbaijan	16.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Cyprus's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to The Mediterranean (2025)₂₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₁
1	France	23.8
2	Spain	29.0
3	Italy	29.9
4	Slovenia	30.9
5	Malta	38.0
6	Cyprus	48.6
7	Greece	51.3
8	Croatia	55.3
9	Monaco	61.1
10	Montenegro	63.3
11	Israel	64.4
12	Albania	86.0
13	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
	The Mediterranean Avg	76.94
q=22.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₂₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₁
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
30	Slovakia	46.3
31	Poland	46.8
32	USA	47.4
33	Cyprus	48.6
34	Lithuania	49.9
35	Andorra	50.2
36	Argentina	50.3
37	Greece	51.3
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₂. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₂.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₂, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₂.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics #slavery

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₃
Pos.		2025₂₃
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
73	Senegal	59.43
74	Comoros	59.27
75	Malawi	59.20
76	Cyprus	59.04
77	Papua New Guinea	58.35
78	Qatar	58.25
79	Albania	58.18
80	Botswana	57.64
	The Mediterranean Avg	52.03
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		Total Per 1000₂₄
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
126=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	8.00
126=	Kosovo	8.00
126=	India	8.00
126=	Cyprus	8.00
130	El Salvador	8.10
131	Haiti	8.20
132	Bulgaria	8.50
133=	Kyrgyzstan	8.70
	The Mediterranean Avg	5.94
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₅
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
30	Romania	30
31	France	31
32	Japan	32
33	Cyprus	33
34	Mauritius	34
35	S. Korea	35
36	Spain	36
37	Hungary	37
	The Mediterranean Avg	76.1
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
4=	Costa Rica	1.0
4=	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.0
4=	St Lucia	1.0
4=	Cyprus	1.0
4=	Denmark	1.0
4=	Dominica	1.0
4=	Portugal	1.0
4=	Slovenia	1.0
	The Mediterranean Avg	3.5
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₂₆
Pos.		2017 Score₂₆
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
9=	Luxembourg	6
9=	Belgium	6
11=	Greece	5
11=	Cyprus	5
11=	Czechia	5
11=	Denmark	5
11=	Romania	5
11=	Estonia	5
	The Mediterranean Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₇
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₇
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
30=	Czechia	20
30=	Georgia	20
30=	Albania	20
30=	Cyprus	20
30=	Namibia	20
30=	Ukraine	20
30=	Macedonia	20
30=	Slovakia	20
	The Mediterranean Avg	18.3
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₈
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
27	Austria	5.68
28	Belarus	5.71
29	Canada	5.73
30	Cyprus	5.81
31	Argentina	5.90
32	Hungary	5.91
33	Mongolia	6.26
34	Poland	6.34
	The Mediterranean Avg	8.79
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #prejudice #women

Cyprus is on the way towards ending gender inequality but women are still in an unfavourable position much of the time.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2022₂₉
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
59	Tunisia	0.24
60	Uruguay	0.24
61	Uzbekistan	0.24
62	Cyprus	0.25
63	Oman	0.27
64	Trinidad & Tobago	0.27
65	Libya	0.27
66	Turkey	0.27
	The Mediterranean Avg	0.21
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Gender Biases Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		2022 %₃₀
1	Sweden	31.8₃₁
2	New Zealand	34.4₃₂
3	Australia	37.0₃₂
	...
26	Chile	79.9₃₂
27	Hong Kong	80.8₃₂
28	Poland	81.4₃₁
29	Cyprus	81.8₃₂
30	Ukraine	86.1₃₂
31	Brazil	86.3₃₂
32	Romania	86.6₃₂
33	Trinidad & Tobago	87.4₃₁
	The Mediterranean Avg	82.62
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
123=	Tunisia	1959
123=	Tanzania	1959
125=	Tonga	1960
125=	Cyprus	1960
125=	Gambia	1960
128=	El Salvador	1961
128=	Rwanda	1961
128=	Mauritania	1961
	The Mediterranean Avg	1950
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₃₃
Pos.		Total Score₃₃
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
38	Greece	2.12
39	Andorra	2.01
40	Estonia	1.90
41	Cyprus	1.85
42	Croatia	1.85
43	Italy	1.78
44=	Isle of Man	1.62
44=	Faroe Islands	1.62
	The Mediterranean Avg	-0.44
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Male homosexuality was criminalized in Cryprus under British colonial law from 1929, until this was overturned following a European Court of Human Rights ruling in Modinos v. Cyprus (1993) leading to decriminalization in 1998, despite angry objections from the Greek Orthodox Church, which has continued to oppose LGBTQ rights. Now, same-sex relations have an equal age of consent (since 2002. ) and civil unions for same-sex couples have been recognized since 2015, though adoption rights remain restricted. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Cyprus had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, incitement and other protections.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ Supported the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
⇡ Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2021₃₄
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
95=	Switzerland	3.0
95=	El Salvador	3.0
95=	Serbia	3.0
95=	Cyprus	3.0
95=	Ivory Coast	3.0
95=	Spain	3.0
95=	Grenada	3.0
95=	Guatemala	3.0
	The Mediterranean Avg	3.3
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Cyprus's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #cyprus #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to The Mediterranean (2025)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₅
1	Monaco	10.3
2	France	45.9
3	Italy	56.9
4	Slovenia	58.6
5	Spain	61.6
6	Israel	65.0
7	Cyprus	65.8
8	Greece	68.3
9	Albania	71.1
10	Montenegro	71.2
11	Malta	71.3
12	Croatia	73.8
13	Tunisia	75.3
	The Mediterranean Avg	86.85
q=22.

Health (2025)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₅
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
33	New Zealand	65.0
34	Israel	65.0
35	Austria	65.8
36	Cyprus	65.8
37	Germany	66.6
38	USA	66.8
39	Ireland	67.2
40	New Caledonia	68.1
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₆. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₆.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₆, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₆.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #cyprus #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

Cyprus does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Cyprus comes in the best 20 in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₇ (amongst the best in The Mediterranean). It does better than average in its average life expectancy₁₃, its adolescent birth rate₃₈, its suicide rate₃₉, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₄₀, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₄₁ and in delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₄₂. But, there's bad news too. Cyprus does worse than average for the prevalence of overweight adults₄₃ (still good for The Mediterranean), its fertility rate₁₇ and in its alcohol consumption rate₄₄ (one of the worst in The Mediterranean). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of its smoking rate₄₅ (amongst the highest in The Mediterranean). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Cyprus improved by +7.9yrs in the 30 years from 1990, which is the global average. Cyprus's peak fertility rate was 3.62 in 1961.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₃
Pos.		2021 Years₁₃
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
23	Netherlands	81.7
24	Austria	81.6
25	Denmark	81.4
26	Cyprus	81.2
27	Portugal	81.0
28	San Marino	80.9
29	UK	80.7
30	Slovenia	80.7
	The Mediterranean Avg	77.77
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₄₄
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
158=	New Zealand	10.7
158=	Finland	10.7
160=	Uruguay	10.8
160=	Cyprus	10.8
162	Serbia	11.1
163	Belarus	11.2
164=	Andorra	11.3
164=	Equatorial Guinea	11.3
	The Mediterranean Avg	5.7
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₇
Pos.		2022₁₇
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
118=	Mauritius	1.32
118=	Finland	1.32
120	Thailand	1.32
121	Cyprus	1.31
122	Luxembourg	1.31
123=	Curaço	1.30
123=	Bermuda	1.30
125	Syria	2.70
	The Mediterranean Avg	1.89
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₄₅
Pos.		Total %₄₅
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
150	Lebanon	34.3%
151	France	34.6%
152=	Jordan	35.6%
152=	Cyprus	35.6%
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	36.2%
155	Andorra	36.2%
156	Solomon Islands	36.9%
157	Croatia	37.0%
	The Mediterranean Avg	27.3%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate₃₉
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₉
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
26=	Israel	8.5
27	Georgia	8.8
28	Seychelles	8.9
29	Cyprus	9.1
30	Uzbekistan	9.3
31	Brazil	9.7
32	Colombia	9.9
33	Panama	10.9
	The Mediterranean Avg	16.48
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₁
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
56	S. Africa	56
57	Slovenia	57
58	Morocco	58
59	Cyprus	59
60	Guinea	60
61	Sierra Leone	61
62	Honduras	62
63	Lebanon	63
	The Mediterranean Avg	76.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		1976 %₄₃
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
116	Bosnia & Herzegovina	32.6
117	Colombia	32.7
118	Tunisia	32.8
119	Cyprus	33.0
120	Moldova	33.4
121	Peru	33.5
122	Netherlands	33.7
123	Albania	33.8
	The Mediterranean Avg	37.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₄₆
Pos.		2022 %₄₆
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
100	Bulgaria	24.2%
101	Algeria	24.2%
102	Kyrgyzstan	24.4%
103	Cyprus	25.1%
104	Guatemala	25.2%
105	Iran	25.3%
106	Bosnia & Herzegovina	25.5%
107	Moldova	25.6%
	The Mediterranean Avg	27.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₈
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
25	Canada	6.6
26	Tunisia	6.6
27	Maldives	6.8
28	Cyprus	6.8
29	Qatar	6.9
30	Monaco	6.9
31	Libya	7.0
32	Portugal	7.1
	The Mediterranean Avg	14.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₄₀
Pos.		Total Avg %₄₀
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
55=	Costa Rica	96.8
56=	Jamaica	96.7
56=	Slovakia	96.7
56=	Cyprus	96.7
59=	Switzerland	96.6
59=	Egypt	96.6
59=	Poland	96.6
62=	Sweden	96.5
	The Mediterranean Avg	92.0
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2015 Avg %₄₂
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
61	Malta	95.5
62	Botswana	95.4
63	Gambia	95.4
64	Cyprus	95.3
65	Switzerland	95.3
66	Israel	95.2
67=	Grenada	95.2
67=	Slovenia	95.2
	The Mediterranean Avg	92.6
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₇
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
7	Norway	2.78
8=	Sweden	2.87
8=	Japan	2.87
10	Cyprus	3.03
11	Czechia	3.18
12	Estonia	3.39
13	Spain	3.42
14=	Monaco	3.55
	The Mediterranean Avg	10.75
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #Cyprus #Cyprus_environment #the_environment

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
41	Gambia	63.3
42	Senegal	63.4
43	Hong Kong	64.6
44	Cyprus	64.8
45	Dominican Rep.	65.0
46	Ecuador	65.6
	The Mediterranean Avg	80.97
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

Cyprus is positioned 44th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This is formulated from 21 data sets. Cyprus comes in the best 20 for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₈ (one of the highest in The Mediterranean). It does better than average in its environmental performance₄₉, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment (amongst the highest in The Mediterranean), energy to GDP efficiency₅₀ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₅₁ (but low for The Mediterranean). Cyprus doesn't do so well in other areas. Cyprus does worse than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₅₂.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Cyprus's Responsibility Towards The Environment

7. Cyprus's Modernity and Learning

#cyprus #education #english #maths #metric #modernity #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Mediterranean (2025)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Monaco	15.1
2	France	17.8
3	Spain	19.9
	...
8	Croatia	39.9
9	Malta	41.3
10	Turkey	46.0
11	Cyprus	46.4
12	Montenegro	49.1
13	Bosnia & Herzegovina	49.5
14	Tunisia	63.4
15	Albania	65.8
16	Lebanon	68.7
	The Mediterranean Avg	53.62
q=22.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
49	Serbia	45.2
50	Turkey	46.0
51	Uruguay	46.1
52	Cyprus	46.4
53	Ireland	47.0
54	Kazakhstan	48.2
55	Montenegro	49.1
56	Bosnia & Herzegovina	49.5
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₅₄. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₅.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₅₆

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₄.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric #research #science

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₇
2	Israel	4.11₅₇
3	Japan	3.58₅₇
	...
58=	Senegal	0.54₅₈
59	UAE	0.49₅₉
60=	Uganda	0.48₅₈
60=	Cyprus	0.48₆₀
62=	Costa Rica	0.47₅₉
62=	Qatar	0.47₆₁
62=	Cuba	0.47₆₀
65=	Macedonia	0.44₆₀
	The Mediterranean Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₁
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
28	Serbia	28
29	Canada	29
30	Romania	30
31	Cyprus	31
32	Ireland	32
33	Croatia	33
34	Israel	34
35	Barbados	35
	The Mediterranean Avg	58.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2025 %₆₂
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
36=	Honduras	95
36=	Vietnam	95
36=	Venezuela	95
36=	Cyprus	95
36=	Uzbekistan	95
36=	Uruguay	95
36=	Croatia	95
36=	Guatemala	95
	The Mediterranean Avg	95
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1980. Progression:

1960 (70%): British legacy; metric in science/administration.
1970 (85%): Metrication accelerates; commerce standardizes.
1980 (95%): Metric dominant; miles legacy removed.
2000 (95%).
2025 (95%).

7.2. Education Datasets

#cyprus #education #english #maths #science

In the 1990s, Cyprus was one of only ten countries to increase its expected duration of education by over 3 years.₆₃

Secondary Education Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		2018₆₄
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
56	Sri Lanka	82.8%
57	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.2%
58	Malaysia	80.8%
59	Cyprus	80.3%
60	Singapore	79.6%
61	Italy	79.6%
62	Hong Kong	79.4%
63	Chile	79.3%
	The Mediterranean Avg	69.8%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2021 Years₆₅
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
45	Kazakhstan	15.8
46	UAE	15.7
47	Barbados	15.7
48	Cyprus	15.6
49	Brazil	15.6
50	Georgia	15.6
51	St Kitts & Nevis	15.4
52	Tunisia	15.4
	The Mediterranean Avg	15.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2015 Score₆₆
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
44	Chile	1329
45	Bulgaria	1319
46=	Romania	1313
46=	Cyprus	1313
48	UAE	1298
49	Uruguay	1290
50	Turkey	1273
51	Trinidad & Tobago	1269
	The Mediterranean Avg	1331
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#modernity #technology #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₆₇
Pos.		2016₆₇
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
51	Poland	72%
52	Brunei	72%
53	Slovenia	72%
54	Cyprus	72%
55	Russia	71%
56	Oman	71%
57	New Caledonia	70%
58=	Macedonia	69%
	The Mediterranean Avg	61.6%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₈
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₈
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
78=	Costa Rica	0.1
78=	Serbia	0.1
80=	Liechtenstein	0.0
80=	Cyprus	0.0
82=	Philippines	0.0
82=	Macedonia	0.0
82=	Pakistan	0.0
82=	Paraguay	0.0
	The Mediterranean Avg	2.98
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₉
Pos.		2024₆₉
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
28	Latvia	63.2%
29	Portugal	62.8%
30	Slovenia	62.3%
31	Cyprus	61.6%
32	New Zealand	61.1%
33	Croatia	61.1%
34	Malta	61.0%
35	Slovakia	60.7%
	The Mediterranean Avg	54.2%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Cyprus's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charity #corruption #cyprus #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #cyprus #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

World Giving Index Higher is better₇₀
Pos.		2022 %₇₀
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
64=	Turkey	40.0
64=	Hungary	40.0
64=	India	40.0
64=	Cyprus	40.0
68=	Malawi	39.0
68=	Slovenia	39.0
68=	Burkina Faso	39.0
68=	Tajikistan	39.0
	The Mediterranean Avg	33.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

Corruption Higher is better₇₁
Pos.		2022 Points₇₁
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
49=	Fiji	53.0
49=	Slovakia	53.0
51=	Grenada	52.0
51=	Cyprus	52.0
51=	Greece	52.0
54=	Rwanda	51.0
54=	Malta	51.0
54=	Saudi Arabia	51.0
	The Mediterranean Avg	42.90
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Thoughout the 2010s, Cyprus's score on the Corruption Perception Index declined drastically; it was amongst the 10 countries with the worse rise in perceived corruption that decade.

Happiness Higher is better₇₂
Pos.		2024 Score₇₂
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
64	Malaysia	6.0
65	Peru	5.9
66	Russia	5.9
67	Cyprus	5.9
68	China	5.9
69	Hungary	5.9
70	Trinidad & Tobago	5.9
71	Montenegro	5.9
	The Mediterranean Avg	5.62
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₁
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
41	Malaysia	41
42	Namibia	42
43	St Vincent & Grenadines	43
44	Cyprus	44
45	Japan	45
46	Moldova	46
47	Greece	47
48	Australia	48
	The Mediterranean Avg	70.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₇₃
Pos.		Total Q₇₃
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
35	Malaysia	179.8
36	Liechtenstein	179.2
37	UAE	178.0
38	Cyprus	177.0
39	Croatia	176.2
40	Monaco	175.3
41	Chile	174.7
42	Bulgaria	174.5
	The Mediterranean Avg	121.7
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₁
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
35	UK	35
36	Italy	36
37	Estonia	37
38	Cyprus	38
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Turkey	40
41	Marshall Islands	41
42	Malta	42
	The Mediterranean Avg	62.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better₇₄
Pos.		2023 Score₇₄
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.89
62	Jordan	1.90
63	Zambia	1.90
64	Cyprus	1.90
65	Serbia	1.92
66	Armenia	1.93
67	France	1.94
68	Panama	1.94
	The Mediterranean Avg	2.11
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₁
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
70	Zimbabwe	70
71	Spain	71
72	USA	72
73	Cyprus	73
74	Jamaica	74
75	Guyana	75
76	Fiji	76
77	Iceland	77
	The Mediterranean Avg	91.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₄₁
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
14	Italy	14
15	Spain	15
16	France	16
17	Cyprus	17
18	Slovenia	18
19	New Zealand	19
20	Luxembourg	20
21	Ireland	21
	The Mediterranean Avg	59.9
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₇₅
Pos.		2019 Score₇₅
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
38	Djibouti	0.32
39	Bulgaria	0.37
40=	Albania	0.42
40=	Cyprus	0.42
42=	Lithuania	0.46
42=	Sierra Leone	0.46
44	Jamaica	0.47
45	Poland	0.48
	The Mediterranean Avg	3.48
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₇₆
Pos.		Total %₇₆
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
4	Thailand	0.03%
5	Ukraine	0.03%
6	Czechia	0.03%
7	Kazakhstan	0.04%
8	Russia	0.04%
9	Belgium	0.06%
10	Netherlands	0.07%
11	France	0.08%
12	Moldova	0.09%
	The Mediterranean Avg	2.12%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₇
Pos.		2019₇₇
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
20=	Belgium	3.60
20=	Estonia	3.60
20=	Montenegro	3.60
20=	Cyprus	3.60
20=	Denmark	3.60
25=	Australia	3.70
25=	Austria	3.70
27=	France	3.80
	The Mediterranean Avg	6.98
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₈
Pos.		2023 %₇₈
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₉
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₉
3	Belarus	24.4%₈₀
	...
37=	Myanmar	30.7%₈₁
37=	Austria	30.7%₇₉
39	Uzbekistan	31.2%₈₂
40	Cyprus	31.3%₇₉
41=	Mongolia	31.4%₈₂
41=	Malta	31.4%₈₀
43	France	31.5%₇₉
44	Taiwan	31.6%₇₉
	The Mediterranean Avg	32.6%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₃:

	2010	2020
Christian	65.5%	67.7%
Muslim	26.6%	24.4%
Unaffiliated	6.48%	6.57%
Buddhist	0.637%	0.558%
Other	0.443%	0.454%
Hindu	0.283%	0.267%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, other (includes Maronite and Armenian Apostolic) 4%₈₄.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems