Cyprus has highest population growth, marriage rates in the EU

Worst record for municipal waste

 

Cyprus has by far the highest population growth rate in the EU and the highest rate of marriage, according to “Cyprus in the EU Scale”, published by the Statistical Service CYSTAT in October 2006 and released last week.

The statistics show that the population growth rate in Cyprus in 2005 was 2.6%—much higher than any other EU country. This compares with an EU 25 average of only 0.5%. The second highest growth rate, of 2%, was recorded by Ireland, while the third highest was Spain, at 1.6%.

Marriage rates, at 7.2 per 1,000 persons in 2004, are also the highest in the EU. The EYU average is only 4.8, while the second highest ratio was (perhaps surprisingly) recorded by Denmark, with a ratio of 7.0.

 

Lower age dependency ratio

 

The old-age dependency ratio of Cyprus is not far from average, at 46.9, compared with an EU average of 48.9. Nine countries have a lower dependency ratio than Cyprus.

The old age dependency ratio affects public finances, because if the proportion of people working compared with the proportion of people retiring is falling, then the government has less and less money to pay for the retired.

 

Graduate numbers higher than average

Statistics that may be of interest to those who were studying the World Economic Forum numbers the other week are those that relate to higher education.

Here Cyprus scores well: 29.4% of 15-64 year-olds have tertiary education, compared with an EU average of 21.9%. The highest proportion is in Finland, with 34%, while the lowest is Malta, with 10.9%.

 

Lowest public expenditure on health

 

Perhaps not surprisingly given the mess made of building a new public hospital and the government’s subsidy of the private sector via civil servants’ reimbursements, Cyprus has the lowest public expenditure on health in the whole of the EU, at 49.1% of total healthcare expenditure, compared with a high of 90.8% in Luxembourg and an EU average of 75.6%.

Cyprus is also among the lowest spenders on pensions, at 6.9% of GDP in 2003, compared with an EU average of 12.6%. However, it is slightly higher up the scale with respect to expenditure on other social benefits that affect the elderly.

 

Biggest municipal wasters

The almighty pong that accompanies the highway route to Dhekelia from Nicosia is testament to Cyprus’ worst record in the EU for municipal waste.

Landfilled waste accounted for 657 kg per person per year in 2004—the highest in the EU. Cyprus is also the second highest generator of municipal waste, at 730 per person per year.

 

The report contains many more indicators selected for comparative purposes include demography, education, health, social protection, economy, information society, environment, and research and development.

“The aim of this publication is to assess the position of Cyprus compared to the other E.U. countries through various statistical indicators which cover several aspects of the economy and the society,” said Pambos Philippides, Director of the Statistical Service, in the report’s introduction.

 

Fiona Mullen