Although more parties contested the election and over 700 candidates stood, a substantial share of the electorate stayed away. According to data from the Ministry of Interior and the Chief Returning Officer, turnout reached 66.9%, with 380,851 voters participating out of 569,182 eligible voters.
In the 2021 parliamentary elections, turnout stood at 63.9%, with abstention at 36.1%. The comparison shows an improvement in participation, but abstention remains firmly above the 30% threshold, meaning more than one in three registered voters continues to stay away from the polls.
The figures suggest there has been no further collapse in participation, but nor is there a meaningful return of voters to the electoral process. Nearly 190,000 registered voters did not take part, keeping abstention a central issue in discussions about the relationship between citizens and elections.
Regional variations
Turnout varied significantly by district. The highest participation was recorded in Paphos at 72.6%, followed by Famagusta at 67.9%. These districts once again showed higher engagement than the national average.
In Nicosia, turnout reached 66.9%, while Larnaca followed closely at 66.8%, and Kyrenia at 66.3%. All three were broadly in line with the nationwide average.
Lowest participation in Limassol
The lowest turnout was recorded in Limassol, at 63.7%, with abstention reaching 36.3%, above the national average. This made Limassol the district with the weakest voter participation in this election.
In previous parliamentary elections in 2016 and 2021, the highest levels of abstention were recorded in Nicosia. This year, however, Limassol recorded the lowest turnout.
Comparison with previous elections
Abstention stood at 41.1% in the 2024 elections, while in the 2023 presidential elections it reached 28.0% in the first round and declined slightly to 27.6% in the second round.
Compared to the 2021 parliamentary elections, when turnout was 65.7% and abstention 34.3%, this year shows a modest improvement in participation.
However, the persistence of high abstention levels suggests that voter disengagement remains a structural feature of Cyprus’s electoral landscape.
