Social protection in Cyprus low by EU standards

Social Protection expenditure in Cyprus amounted to 17.9% of GDP in 2005, compared with an EU27 average of 27.3%, according to a Statistical Service report entitled “Social Protection in Cyprus 2005”.

In 2005, the social protection expenditure amounted to £1.407,4 mln (EUR 2.4 bln) compared with CYP 1,296.3 mln in 2004, thus rising by almost 9%.

Old age and sickness benefits in Cyprus were the major components of all social benefits and comprised 45% and 25% respectively, of the total.

Public sources accounted for 81.1% of the total social protection benefits.

The report is based on a survey in compliance with the European system and provides detailed data on social protection expenditure of the public and private sector.

Social protection expenditure includes old age, sickness, disability, unemployment, housing and other categories of benefits.

The report is available free of charge, on the website of the Statistical Service under the section Publications (Category: Annual Publications, Theme: Population and Social Conditions, Subtheme: SocialConditions).