While Europe discusses climate targets, fuel costs, and urban mobility, Cyprus has quietly taken the top position in a different category.
According to new Eurostat data, Cyprus recorded the highest percentage of people in the European Union who do not use public transport at all.
In 2024, 85% of residents aged 16 or older said they never use buses, trains, or other public transportation.
The figure places Cyprus well ahead of other countries with high car dependence, including Italy, Portugal, France, Slovenia, and Greece.
Car-first Culture
Only a small percentage of people in Cyprus reported using public transport regularly.
- 4.5% use it daily
- 4.3% weekly
- 2.9% monthly
- 3.3% less than once per month
Across the European Union, the average is very different: about half of the population uses public transport at least occasionally.
Countries such as Luxembourg, Estonia, and Sweden had the lowest non-user rates, reflecting stronger public transport networks and different travel habits.
Cyprus, like many island destinations, remains heavily dependent on private cars, partly because of limited rail infrastructure and a bus system that many residents consider slow or inconvenient.
Cars Dominate
The numbers are also interesting for the travel industry, since Cyprus is one of the most visited destinations in the Mediterranean, yet daily life on the island is still built around driving.
For visitors, this often means rental cars remain the easiest way to move around, especially outside major resort areas.
At the same time, the data highlights a future challenge, as European policies increasingly focus on reducing emissions and encouraging public transport use.
For now, however, the statistics suggest that in Cyprus, the car is still king — and the bus is something many people only see when they are stuck behind it.
