LEFKOSIA – [CNA]
Significant gender inequalities continue to be recorded in Cyprus, according to Statistical Service’s report “Gender Statistics 2025.” Despite some improvements in recent years, differences between men and women remain in areas such as employment, earnings, public life, poverty, and health.
In the field of employment and earnings, in 2024 the average gross monthly earnings amounted to €2,679 for men and €2,267 for women, indicating that women earn on average 15.4% less than men, even though this gap has slightly narrowed compared to previous years. In terms of labour force participation, the employment gap stands at 10%.
In education, women maintain an advantage in participation and completion rates, with 46% of women aged 20 and over having completed tertiary education, compared to 39% of men in 2024. Notably, in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), women represent 35.4% of graduates, a percentage that surpasses the EU average of 33.5%.
Women’s participation in public life remains limited, despite some progress. In the Council of Ministers, female representation in 2025 stands at 36.8%, marking a clear improvement compared to previous decades, when in 1990 and 2000 there was no female participation at all. The highest rate was recorded in 2024, reaching 38.9%.
In the House of Representatives, women hold just 14.3% of seats. In the boards of public organizations, their representation reaches 30.2%. In senior public service positions (grades A14–A16), the percentage of women in 2024 was 45.1%, compared to 54.9% of men, while among judges, women outnumber men, reaching 55%.
In the health sector, life expectancy for women in Cyprus in 2023 was 85 years, significantly higher than the 81 years recorded for men. However, 35.2% of women over the age of 65 report living with health limitations or chronic conditions, a percentage higher than that of men, which stands at 37.4%.
In the area of social protection, the risk of social exclusion for women is 18.5%, compared to 15.6% for men, highlighting the greater economic vulnerability of women. Similarly, the risk of poverty is also higher for women (16%) compared to men (13%).
