Cyprus recorded a higher youth employment rate than the European Union average in 2025, according to figures published on Tuesday.
The employment rate for people aged 20 to 29 in Cyprus stood at 72.3% last year, compared with an EU average of 65.6%. Across the bloc, the highest youth employment rates were recorded in the Netherlands at 84.0%, Malta at 82.1% and Germany at 77.0%, while the lowest were in Italy at 47.6%, Romania at 52.0% and Bulgaria at 52.7%.
Data also show that 3.8% of all self-employed people aged 20 to 64 in Cyprus were in the 20 to 29 age group, while the total number of self-employed people aged 20 to 64 in the country reached 41,400. At EU level, around 2.06 million people aged 20 to 29 were self-employed in 2025, accounting for 7.9% of all self-employed people aged 20 to 64.
Among member states, the highest shares of young entrepreneurs among the self-employed were recorded in Slovakia at 12.2%, Malta at 10.5% and Romania at 10.3%. The lowest were in Ireland at 5.1%, Bulgaria at 5.3% and Spain at 5.9%.
The figures were released to mark World Creativity and Innovation Day on 21 April, highlighting the role of young people in employment and entrepreneurship across the bloc.
Source: CNA