Greenhouse gas emissions in Cyprus rose 67.1% from 1990 — Cyprus Mail
In Cyprus, greenhouse gas emissions increased by 67.1% between 1990 and 2024, while across the European Union they fell by 34.9% over the same period. Eurostat published the data in the Regional Yearbook 2026, Cyprus Mail reports.
Cyprus was among the European regions with the largest increase in emissions during this period. In 2008, their volume was 77% higher than in 1990. After five years of consistent decline, the figures mostly rose again, and in 2024 they remained 5.5% below the 2008 peak.
Possible factors and drought
Eurostat notes that relatively high emissions in Cyprus may be linked to continued dependence on fossil fuels, energy consumption, transport, waste and household consumption. The country’s economic growth also outpaced the reduction in carbon intensity.
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In 2024, drought conditions affected 13% of Cyprus’ territory. These were areas where vegetation productivity had not returned to the baseline levels recorded in 2000–2020. The largest share of territory affected by such conditions in the EU was recorded in Malta, at 57.5%, followed by Bulgaria at 20.1%, Romania at 17.5%, Cyprus at 13%, Greece at 11.4% and Italy at 10.7%.
Education, digital use and the agricultural sector
Cyprus had the largest gender gap in the share of higher education students enrolled in master’s programmes: in 2024, these programmes were attended by 57.7% of female students and 35.6% of male students. The EU average was 31.3% and 27.1%, respectively. Cyprus was also one of four European regions where 51% of higher education students, excluding short-cycle courses, were pursuing postgraduate education.
In 2025, Cyprus was among 24 EU regions where at least 80% of the population aged 16 to 74 used social media. In agriculture, the share of farms using precision crop-monitoring technologies was 0% in 2023, compared with an EU average of 3.2%. In 2022, terraces, rows of trees and stone walls covered 21.1% of Cyprus’ agricultural land, compared with an EU average of 5.6%.
