Cyprus's population is aging rapidly. In 2024, people aged 65 and older accounted for 18.3% of the total population in the areas controlled by the Republic, compared to 11.3% in 2000.
At the same time, people are living longer, with life expectancy reaching 81.4 years for men and 85.8 years for women.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
An integral part of this reality is the ever-increasing need for long-term care services, yet the current system is proving inadequate, shifting the greatest responsibility onto families themselves, who bear a significant financial burden. This is further illustrated by the European Commission’s finding, which, in a recent report, described Cyprus’s long-term care system as fragmented and underdeveloped.
“We are, I can say without reservation, in the infancy of this system. When, in a few years, one-third of Cyprus’s population will be over 65, we cannot let this issue hang in the balance and fail to make a decision today. In a few years, our children and grandchildren will be called upon to bear an unbearable burden so that the elderly, the chronically ill, and people with disabilities.” Dimos Antoniou, Executive President of the Senior Citizens’ Observatory
According to Eurostat data, 62.9% of citizens who, in 2024, lived in households where at least one person required long-term care received services from professionals. This is the second-highest percentage in the European Union, where the average is just 28.3%.
“We can make wish lists about what needs to be done, but without the human factor—such as home care providers and nursing staff—it won’t work. Where are we going to find them? We’re fed up with hearing that this will happen and that will happen, without seeing how these things will actually be accomplished.” Dimos Antoniou, Executive President of the Senior Citizens’ Observatory
Public spending on long-term care in Cyprus amounts to just 0.2% of GDP, compared to 1.7% in the European Union.
See the report by Eleni Michael
