Cyprus consistently ranks among the countries with the highest life expectancy in the European Union and, in recent years, has provided universal access to healthcare services through the General Healthcare System (GeSY). These two indicators are often presented as evidence that the health of the population is in good condition. However, European reports from recent years paint a more complex picture. Behind improved access to care and reduced private expenditure, they reveal a persistent and long-standing deficit in primary prevention.
A comparison of data for 2023, 2024 and 2025 does not show dramatic changes in key health indicators. What it does reveal, however, is something potentially more concerning: stagnation. The same causes of death recur, the same behavioural risk factors remain strong, and prevention policies continue to be underfunded and ineffective.
The most recent available data show that around 27% of deaths in Cyprus are directly linked to unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity and alcohol consumption. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer remain the two leading causes of death, despite the fact that they are largely preventable or can be delayed through timely intervention. At the same time, around one in four 15-year-olds is classified as overweight or obese, a trend that points to serious public health consequences in the years ahead.
2023: Good health on paper
Cyprus’ health profile for 2023 presents a country with generally favourable health indicators compared to the EU average. Around 78% of Cypriots report being in good or very good health, while life expectancy exceeds the European Union average.
At the same time, however, the main causes of death remain unchanged. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer continue to dominate, with a significant share of cases linked to lifestyle-related risk factors. Sedentary behaviour, unhealthy diets and smoking still have a negative impact on population health, despite increased access to healthcare services.
One of GeSY’s most significant achievements is also recorded in 2023. Direct out-of-pocket payments for healthcare services fell sharply, dropping to a single-digit share of total health expenditure, compared with more than one third before the system’s introduction. Access to care has largely been decoupled from citizens’ financial capacity, reducing inequalities.
Yet the same health profile highlights a clear gap. Spending on prevention remains low, accounting for roughly 2% of total health expenditure. The system continues to invest primarily in treatment rather than in preventing illness, limiting its ability to achieve sustained improvements in health outcomes over the long term.
2024: When numbers gain meaning
Although 2024 is not accompanied by a separate official health profile, interim European data and assessments shed clearer light on emerging trends. For the first time, the link between deaths and lifestyle factors is captured in concrete numerical terms. Approximately 27% of deaths in Cyprus are directly attributed to behavioural risk factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption.
Cardiovascular diseases and cancer remain at the top of the list of causes of death, with no meaningful reduction recorded. At the same time, the picture among younger populations becomes more concerning. Around 25% of 15-year-old adolescents are overweight or obese, a factor associated with a higher risk of developing chronic diseases later in life.
Life expectancy remains high, a fact that often has a reassuring effect on public debate. However, indicators relating to years lived in good health do not show comparable improvement, suggesting that longer lives are not necessarily healthier ones.
In terms of expenditure, 2024 confirms the pattern seen in 2023. Out-of-pocket payments remain low, but total health spending as a share of GDP continues to sit below the EU average. Prevention and long-term care remain underfunded relative to the actual needs of the population.
2025: From observation to warning
The same causes of death and the same risk factors persist, according to the report, but the focus now shifts from observation to warning. Prevention is identified as a structural weakness of the healthcare system.
The analysis shows that Cyprus’s health system is effective in treatment and relatively resilient, but is coming under increasing pressure from chronic diseases and population ageing. The absence of strong prevention policies translates into greater care needs in the future, with direct implications for costs and system sustainability.
Particular attention is drawn to the low level of investment in policies aimed at changing behaviour, such as promoting physical activity, encouraging healthy diets and improving early disease detection. Despite strategies and action plans, population-level results remain limited.
Growing pressure on GeSY in the years ahead
Obesity and physical inactivity are not merely isolated health issues or temporary by-products of modern life. In Cyprus, they constitute critical indicators which, if not addressed systematically, are expected to multiply demand for healthcare services at a time when GeSY is already managing population ageing and a steady rise in chronic diseases.
The latest available data show that obesity levels in the general population have reached around 16.9%, with clear disparities based on place of residence. In rural areas, the rate rises to 20.5%, compared with 14.6% in urban areas. At the same time, around 33% of adults do not engage in sufficient physical activity, significantly increasing the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases.
Data relating to children are particularly concerning. Measurements from the period 2022–2024 show that a significant proportion of children aged 6 to 9 are overweight or obese, placing Cyprus among the countries with the highest rates of childhood obesity in Europe. These trends point to an increased burden on the healthcare system in the future, as childhood obesity is directly linked to chronic conditions in adulthood.
High obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles are already translating into greater needs for medical monitoring and long-term care. Demand for healthcare services is expected to rise markedly over the next 10 to 20 years, both in volume and complexity. Pressure on GeSY will not only relate to the number of patients, but also to the duration and cost of care, with direct implications for the system’s sustainability.
The cost of treating conditions linked to obesity and physical inactivity is significantly higher than the cost of timely preventive interventions. The inequalities observed between different population groups underline the need for targeted health policies that take social and geographical factors into account. Combined with the findings of European reports for 2023, 2024 and 2025, it becomes clear that obesity and sedentary behaviour are not marginal public health issues, but critical factors that will shape the level of pressure faced by GeSY over the next two decades.