One in three Cypriot workers earns less than €1,500 per month in gross wages, official statistics showed.
Data released by the Statistical Service revealed that 30.5% of Cypriot workers receive gross monthly salaries below €1,500, compared to 49.2% of non-Cypriot employees, including EU nationals and third-country workers.
The statistics, covering the first quarter of 2025, showed 36.5% of all employees in Cyprus earn under €1,500 monthly, whilst wage gaps persist at both ends of the pay scale.
Foreign workers represent a higher proportion in both the lowest and highest salary brackets. At the top end, 8.1% of non-Cypriots earn above €6,000 monthly compared to just 3.7% of Cypriot workers.
The disparity may stem from large foreign companies established in Cyprus that typically employ overseas staff for middle and senior management positions, the Statistical Service noted.
Average gross monthly earnings stood at €2,509 in the first quarter of 2025, up 5.4% from €2,382 in the same period last year. Men earned an average of €2,689 compared to €2,284 for women.
The majority of workers, 39.6%, earn between €1,500 and €2,999 monthly, with Cypriots comprising 43.8% of this bracket and non-Cypriots 30.6%.
Higher salary brackets show declining representation: 12.8% of employees earn €3,000-€4,499, 6.1% receive €4,500-€5,999, and 5.1% earn above €6,000.
The figures include basic salary, cost-of-living allowances, overtime payments, holiday funds, bonuses and backdated payments before social security deductions.