The average age of the population in Cyprus reached 41 years in January 2025, rising from 34.9 years in 2005 and 37 years in 2015, meaning the country aged by four years in a single decade and by 6.1 years over two decades.
During the same period, the proportion of elderly citizens aged 65 to 79 grew by 5%, while the percentage of young people declined, according to Eurostat data published yesterday.
By 2025, individuals over the age of 65 accounted for 13.9% of the total population, compared to 9.4% in 2005 and 11.3% in 2015. Children up to the age of 15 made up 15.2% of the Cypriot population in 2025, falling from 19.9% in 2005 and 16.2% in 2015. Meanwhile, the working-age population (20 to 64 years) represented 61.7% of the total, compared to 60.1% in 2005 and 63.1% in 2015. In the 15 to 19 age bracket, youth represented 4.9% of the total in 2025, down from 7.8% in 2005 and 6.2% in 2015.
The Eurostat data covers all member states, highlighting a broader European demographic problem. On 1 January 2025, the EU recorded 65 million children and young teenagers (under 15), representing 14% of the total EU population.
This proportion varied across the bloc, with Ireland topping the list at nearly 19% and Italy recording the lowest share at 12%. Over the two decades from 2005 to 2025, most EU countries saw a decline in this age group, except for Czechia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, and Slovenia, which recorded increases of less than 1%.
Meanwhile, young people under 19 represented 20% of the EU population on 1 January 2025. Ireland recorded the highest percentage of youth at 25%, followed by France and Sweden at 23% each, while Malta recorded the lowest at 16%. Over the past 20 years, the proportion of people under 19 fell in every single EU country.
The EU population aged 80 and over reached 6%. Italy recorded the highest share at nearly 8%, followed by Germany, Greece, and Portugal at 7% each. Across the bloc, the number of people aged 80 and over has risen in every country over the past 20 years.
The sharpest increases occurred in Greece, Portugal, Latvia, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Estonia, Lithuania, and Croatia, where this age group expanded by three percentage points in each country. On 1 January 2025, there were 99 million people aged 65 and over across the bloc, accounting for 22% of the total EU population. The number of people aged 65 and over rose in all EU countries between 2005 and 2025, with Poland recording the largest increase, jumping eight percentage points from 13% in 2005 to 21% in 2025.
Among EU member states, Italy recorded the highest average age in 2025 at 49.1 years, followed by Bulgaria and Portugal at 47.3 years each, and Greece at 47.2 years. Ireland recorded the lowest average age at 39.6 years, followed by Luxembourg at 39.8 years and Malta at 40.0 years.