Others 1% (including Turkish, Armenian, Maronite) and unspecified 0.2%
Language
Official
Greek, Turkish
Population distribution by ethnicity (1960 census)
Census population and growth rate
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1881
186,173
—
1891
209,286
+1.18%
1901
237,022
+1.25%
1911
274,108
+1.46%
1921
310,715
+1.26%
1931
347,915
+1.14%
1946
450,114
+1.73%
1960
573,566
+1.75%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1973
631,788
+0.75%
1976
497,879
−7.63%
1982
522,845
+0.82%
1992
615,013
+1.64%
2001
703,529
+1.51%
2011
840,407
+1.79%
2021
923,272
+0.94%
The post 1974 censuses refer to the government controlled areas.[1]
The people of Cyprus are broadly divided into two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, who share many cultural traits but maintain distinct identities based on ethnicity, religion, language, and close ties with Greece and Turkey respectively. Before the dispute started in 1964 the peoples of Cyprus (then 77.1% Greek Cypriots, 18.2% Turkish Cypriots, <5% other communities, primarily Armenians, Maronites, and other Lebanese)[2][3] were dispersed over the entire island.
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 de facto partitioned the island into two political areas: 99.5% of Greek Cypriots now live in the south part of the Republic of Cyprus while 98.7% of Turkish Cypriots live in northern areas. (99.2% of other nationalities live in the Greek Cypriot areas in the center, west, east and south).[4]Greek and Cypriot dialect are predominantly spoken in the east, west, south and centre, where the majority are Greek Cypriots, and Turkish in the north, where the majority are Turkish Cypriots. English is widely used throughout the island, as a common language.
The total population of Cyprus as of the end of 2006 was slightly over 1 million, comprising 789,300 in the territory controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus[5] and 294,406 in the northern areas of Cyprus. The population of the northern areas of Cyprus has increased following the immigration of 150,000–160,000 Turkish mainlanders, which the UN confirmed to have arrived illegally.[6] On this basis, the Republic of Cyprus government does not include this group in the population statistics of the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service.[7]
Structure of the population (Census 01.X.2011) (Data refer to government controlled areas):[19]
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
408 780
431 627
840 407
100
0–4
23 061
21 954
45 015
5.36
5–9
21 921
20 714
42 635
5.07
10–14
24 179
23 119
47 298
5.63
15–19
28 683
27 135
55 818
6.64
20–24
33 891
32 182
66 073
7.86
25–29
36 992
37 122
74 114
8.82
30–34
33 149
36 685
69 834
8.31
35–39
27 754
34 108
61 862
7.36
40–44
27 031
32 697
59 728
7.11
45–49
27 059
30 181
57 240
6.81
50–54
27 517
28 611
56 128
6.68
55–59
23 771
23 991
47 762
5.68
60–64
22 057
22 977
45 034
5.36
65–69
17 656
18 672
36 328
4.32
70–74
14 044
15 389
29 433
3.50
75–79
9 647
11 411
21 058
2.51
80+
10 342
14 606
24 948
2.97
unknown
26
73
99
0.01
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
69 161
65 787
134 948
16.06
15–64
287 904
305 689
593 593
70.63
65+
51 689
60 078
111 767
13.30
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.I.2021) (Data refer to government controlled areas): [20]
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
437 650
458 357
896 007
100
0–4
24 397
23 215
47 612
5.31
5–9
25 158
23 494
48 652
5.43
10–14
24 346
23 093
47 439
5.29
15–19
24 300
23 883
48 183
5.38
20–24
30 113
31 925
62 038
6.92
25–29
36 723
38 452
75 175
8.39
30–34
37 166
38 393
75 559
8.43
35–39
33 894
36 196
70 090
7.82
40–44
28 988
32 142
61 130
6.82
45–49
25 801
27 736
53 537
5.98
50–54
26 249
27 426
53 675
5.99
55–59
27 023
27 722
54 745
6.11
60–64
25 117
25 751
50 868
5.68
65–69
21 930
22 897
44 827
5.00
70–74
19 071
20 847
39 918
4.46
75–79
12 852
15 139
27 991
3.12
80–84
8 708
11 190
19 898
2.22
85–89
4 101
6 295
10 396
1.16
90–94
1 327
1 964
3 291
0.37
95–99
327
507
834
0.09
100+
59
90
149
0.02
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
73 901
69 802
143 703
16.04
15–64
295 374
309 626
605 000
67.52
65+
68 375
78 929
147 304
16.44
Historical population
Turkish Cypriots were the majority of the population registered for taxation between 1777 and 1800.[21][22] However, it is likely that the Muslim population never exceeded 35-40 per cent of the total population of Cyprus. Rather, many Orthodox Christians registered as Muslims in order to reduce taxation from the government.[23]
Distribution of Turkish Cypriots (1891–1973)
Tax Registered Population of Cyprus by ethnicity 1777–1800
↑ in the territory controlled by the Republic of Cyprus
In the census from 1881 to 1960, all Muslims are counted as Turks, only Greek Orthodox are counted as Greeks. There were small populations of Greek-speaking Muslims and Turkish-speaking Greek Orthodox.[26]
In total, between 1955 and 1973, 16,519 Turks and 71,036 Greeks emigrated from the country. Of the emigrated Turkish Cypriots in this period, only 290 went to Turkey.[27] In the 2011 census, 208 people stated their ethnic origin as being Latin.[25]
Fertility
In 2020, 39% of children born in Cyprus were to mothers of foreign origin, both from non-EU countries and from other EU member states.[28]
Large-scale demographic changes have been caused since 1964 by the movements of peoples across the island and the later influx of settlers from Turkey to northern Cyprus. According to the 2011 Census there are 170,383 non-citizens living in Cyprus, of whom 106,270 are EU citizens and 64,113 are from third countries. The largest EU groups by nationality are Greeks (29,321), Romanians (23,706) and Bulgarians (18,536). The largest non-EU groups are British (24,046), Filipinos (9,413), Russians (8,164), Sri Lankans (7,269) and Vietnamese (7,028).[29] There are an estimated 20–25,000 undocumented migrants from third countries also living in the Republic, though migrant rights groups dispute these figures.[30] The demographic changes in society have led to some racist incidents,[31][32][33] and the formation of the charity KISA in response.
The demographic character of northern Cyprus changed after the Turkish invasion in 1974 and especially during the last 10–15 years. TRNC census carried out in April 2006 showed that out of a total population of 256,644 in northern Cyprus, 132,635, or 52%, were Turkish Cypriots in the sense that they were born in Cyprus of at least one Cyprus-born parent (for 120,007 of these both parents were Cyprus-born). In addition, 43,062 so called TRNC citizens (17%) had at least one non-Cypriot Turkish-born parent, 2,334 so called TRNC citizens (1%) had parents born in other countries, 70,525 residents (27%) had Turkish citizenship, and 8,088 (3%) were citizens of other countries (mainly UK, Bulgaria, and Iran).[9]
Based on these census data, it is estimated that 113,687 northern Cyprus residents, or 44% of the population, are not Turkish Cypriots properly speaking, but are in fact "Turkish immigrants" or "Turkish settlers" from Anatolia. Alternative sources suggest that the Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus are today outnumbered by the Turkish settlers,[34] contrary to the picture presented by the 2006 so called TRNC census.
Settlement in northern Cyprus, especially if accompanied by naturalization, is in violation of article 49 of the Geneva Conventions Protocol of 1977, since the Turkish occupation has been declared illegal by the UN.[35] The UN General Assembly have stated the settlement of Turkish mainlanders, "constitute[s] a form of colonialism and attempt to change illegally the demographic structure of Cyprus".[6] The Republic of Cyprus considers these Turkish immigrants to be "illegal settlers" and does not include them in the population estimates for the entire island published by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service.[36]
According to the 2021 census, 74.6% of the population in the area under the control of the Republic of Cyprus were born in Cyprus, with 77.9% holding Cypriot citizenship.
Note that citizenship and place of birth do not fully correlate. For example, 27,986 people living in areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus were born in the United Kingdom, but only 18,918 are registered as having British citizenship.
The national identities of citizens in the area under the control of the Republic of Cyprus, according to the 2011 census are:
Greek and Turkish are the official languages according to Article 3 of the Constitution of Cyprus.[40] In Northern Cyprus, the official language is Turkish (Article 2 of the 1983 Constitution of Northern Cyprus).[41] English is widely spoken on the island.
The Greek Cypriot community adheres to the Autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot community adheres to Islam. The religious groups of Armenians, Maronites and Latins (about 9,000 people in total) opted, in accordance with the 1960 constitution, to belong to the Greek Cypriot community.[7]
Cyprus has a well-developed system of primary and secondary education. The majority of Cypriots earn their higher education at Greek, British, or American universities, while there are also sizeable emigrant communities in the United Kingdom and Australia. Private colleges and state-supported universities have been developed by both the Turkish and Greek communities.[43]
Demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[44]
The data in subsections Age structure through Divorce rate are for the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus government only. The estimates are for 2007 from the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Abstract 2007 (pp.63–88)[36] unless indicated otherwise.
Age structure
Age structure of the population of Cyprus
0–14 years: 17.47% or 137,900 ( 70,700 males/67,200 females)
15–64 years: 70.07% or 553,100 ( 274,300 males/278,800 females)
65 years and over: 12.46% or 98,300 ( 44,600 males/53,700 females)
↑ "Census 2021". Statistical Service. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
↑ Hatay, Mete; Hatay, Mete; Contents, Erol Uysal. Is the Turkish Cypriot Population Shrinking? An Overview of the Ethno-Demography of Cyprus in the Light of the Preliminary Results of the 2006 Turkish-Cypriot Census. CiteSeerX10.1.1.374.6154.
↑ Archimandrite Kyprianos Istoria Khronoloyiki tis Nisou Kiprou (History and Chronicles of the Island of Cyprus, Ιστορία χρονολογική της νήσου Κύπρου) 1788, p.495
↑ The Turkish Settlers in Northern Cyprus, www.cyprus-conflict.net, quoting "Fresh Tension for Cyprus: Counting the Newcomers" in The New York Times, January 23, 1991. "The Turkish Settlers in Northern Cyprus". Archived from the original on 2008-03-25. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
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