Expats are making a gradual exodus from Cyprus with most saying the island today is not the home they chose in the past.
Eurostat data from 2022 has revealed an exodus of expats from the Island of Cyprus. A story at Cyprus Mail caught our attention, and started us wondering if the Cyprus situation will not eventually gravitate to other Eastern Mediterranean islands.
According to the latest Eurostat data, 18,000 people emigrated away from the island in 2022 (the last year for which data is available). Almost all of those leaving were non-Cypriots. Some, according to the interview at Cyprus Mail, left because of the changes they’ve seen the island paradise go through. Other left because of their age and what can be understood as homesickness.
Without conclusive data, it’s difficult to know which factors have played the pivotal roles in this evacuation of one of the world’s most beautiful islands. Tourist arrivals have gone up almost every year for decades, but negative variables like Brexit have played a role.
According to the news from CM, Cyprus Container Shipping, which has helped thousands of people relocate both to and from the island, is reporting mostly the elderly leaving their digs on Cyprus for home. Most of the expats living on Cyprus are from the UK, which is natural given the island’s close relationship over the years. The elderly also seem to be leaving because of the healthcare situation on Cyprus, which currently ranks 15th. Expats leaving the island say it’s just not the island home they signed up for years ago.
Even more significantly, the island sits in 47th position out of 53 countries for “working abroad.” According to Internations Expat Survey, Greece is currently 27th and Cyprus is 36th on the list of “Best and Worst” place to live as an expat. Malta and Türkiye ranked in the bottom 10, with the latter in last place among those surveyed.
Southeast Asian countries top the list of fastest-growing expat communities. While destinations like Germany, Malta, and Italy barely stayed out of the bottom 10. As for Greece, other surveys show that Chania on Crete, Thessaloniki, and Athens rank high on the list of new expats moving to the Balkan nation. The only Mediterranean nation in the top 10 of the international survey was Spain, which came in at number 4.
