Cyprus’s standalone houses are benefiting far more from energy upgrades than flats, according to Eurostat figures for 2025. Overall, 28% of Cyprus residents said their home’s energy efficiency had improved over the past five years, a rate above the EU average of 23.9%.
Houses far outpace flats
The picture changes sharply depending on the type of home. In houses, the rate reaches 33.6%, while in flats it is limited to just 10.3%. The 23.3 percentage point gap is among the largest recorded in the EU, and points to energy upgrades moving far faster in houses than in apartment blocks.
At EU level, 30.5% of those living in houses reported their home had been upgraded for energy efficiency, compared with just 16.6% of those living in flats, confirming that such work is generally easier to carry out in standalone and independent houses.
Among the top performers, the Netherlands recorded the highest rate in Europe, with 68.3% of house residents and 33.4% of flat residents reporting energy improvements. Sweden (43.7%) and Denmark (40.2%) followed for houses, while Portugal led for flats with 34.1%.
At the other end of the scale, Greece recorded particularly low rates, at 11.4% for houses and 8.3% for flats. Italy recorded the lowest rate in the EU at 2.6%, regardless of home type.
Cyprus’s figures point to a key challenge for the energy transition: renovations in apartment blocks remain limited. The need for agreement among multiple owners, the management of shared spaces, and the higher cost of collective interventions are among the main obstacles to carrying out energy upgrade projects.
The data underline the need to design targeted support programmes for apartment blocks and flats, so that the energy upgrading of the building stock can proceed more evenly and more citizens can benefit from reduced energy consumption and electricity costs.
Cyprus ranks 16th in the EU
On the broader picture, according to Eurostat’s 2025 figures, Cyprus ranks 16th among member states for the overall rate of energy upgrades. It was, however, among the countries that recorded the largest increase compared with 2023, pointing to an acceleration in investment in upgrading residential building stock.
The Netherlands tops the EU with a rate of 60.5%, followed by Denmark (34%), France and Slovenia (33.3%). At the other end, Italy (2.6%), Malta (7.8%) and Greece (9.5%) rank lowest.
A gap between rich and poor households
Despite this positive overall picture, the data reveal that the benefits of energy upgrades are not shared equally. In Cyprus, just 16.7% of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion said their home had been upgraded for energy efficiency in the past five years. By contrast, the equivalent rate for those not at risk of poverty or social exclusion reaches 30.3%.
The gap between the two groups stands at 13.6 percentage points, among the largest in the EU. Only the Netherlands records a wider gap, at 18 percentage points. Denmark (13.5) and Luxembourg (12.6) follow behind.
The figures show that while energy renovations are increasing in Cyprus, lower-income households continue to face greater difficulty accessing such investments. The comparison with the European average is telling.
In the EU, 17.4% of people at risk of poverty said their home had been upgraded for energy efficiency, a rate slightly higher than Cyprus’s 16.7%. By contrast, for those not at risk of poverty, Cyprus significantly exceeds the European average, with a rate of 30.3% against 25.6% in the EU.
This picture suggests that energy upgrades in Cyprus are being carried out mainly by households with greater financial means or easier access to financing and grant schemes.
Reducing energy poverty
Eurostat notes that upgrading the energy efficiency of homes is a key tool for reducing energy poverty and electricity costs. However, the data for Cyprus shows there is still significant distance to go before all social groups benefit equally. Widening vulnerable households’ access to subsidy programmes for thermal insulation, window replacement, solar panel installation and other interventions is expected to be a critical factor in reducing energy costs and tackling energy poverty in the coming years.