The latest findings of the European Social Survey (ESS) in Cyprus recorded a dramatic drop in trust in institutions, a deep gap between democratic values and their implementation in practice, and one of the highest levels of xenophobia in Europe.
The results of the two most recent ESS rounds (Round 10 in 2022 and Round 11 in 2024) – undertaken by the University of Cyprus (UCY) Field Research Centre in collaboration with the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) – highlight serious concerns for Cypriot society.
On social cohesion, Cyprus records one of the highest levels of xenophobia in Europe, ranking among the 10 most xenophobic countries out of the 31 that participated in the last ESS round. The deterioration observed in Round 11 sounds alarm bells in a society under significant pressure.
Regarding trust in institutions, a systematic decline has been recorded since 2006, with the most severe crisis observed in trust toward politicians and political parties. Despite the slight recent improvement – possibly due to the creation of new political formations – distrust remains deep.
By contrast, external institutions such as the European Parliament and the UN enjoy significantly higher levels of trust compared with domestic political parties and the House of Representatives.
According to an announcement on Tuesday, the findings related to ‘Democracy’ are equally worrying. While citizens rate the importance of democratic principles as very high, their satisfaction with how democracy functions in Cyprus remains desperately low, creating a dangerous gap between values and political reality.
Cyprus’ participation in the ESS allows for the long-term monitoring of critical social indicators, while each country may add topics relevant to its specific circumstances.
For Cyprus, the additional questions concern the Cyprus problem and intercommunal relations, with the relevant results expected to be presented in a separate announcement.
New round of survey
The 12th Round of the ESS, covering 2025-2026, was launched in November by the UCY Field Research Centre, in collaboration with CUT.
In their announcement, the institutions note that the European Social Survey is the most important comparative survey currently conducted in Europe, aimed at the comparative study of citizens’ views on the main political issues and social problems faced by European countries.
The research institutions stress that the success of Cyprus’ participation in this pan-European effort depends directly on the participation of the households that will receive an invitation by post to participate in the latest round.
The contribution of households is crucial, as it enables the production of reliable and scientifically documented results that are essential for public dialogue and policy-making, said the announcement.
Source: CNA