Cyprus Business Now: wages, inflation, EU regions, debt level, pensions, CIFA
The surveys revealed that 33 per cent of people experienced a cyberattack over the last year, while almost half of companies reported at least one breach.
The first survey targeted businesses and was conducted between September and November 2025 on a sample of 459 companies spanning industry, trade and services.
The second survey targeted regular individuals and was carried out during August and September 2025 on a sample of 1,043 individuals.
Among businesses, 53 per cent in 2025 reported suffering an attack or breach in the previous 12 months, compared with 47 per cent in 2024 and 49 per cent in 2023.
The proposed Adequate Minimum Wages Law of 2025 aims to improve living and working conditions by ensuring that statutory minimum wages are sufficient to secure a decent standard of living, contribute to upward social convergence and reduce wage inequality.
The revised bill was discussed before representatives of employers and trade unions, following earlier meetings in January under the auspices of the director of the Department of Labour Relations, when strong reservations were first voiced by employer organisations.
“The downward trend of the debt will continue in 2026 and probably in 2027,” estimated the chairman of the Cyprus Fiscal Council Michalis Persianis.
“There is no concern regarding the possible adoption of measures, as the debt trajectory remains downward and the debt will be at levels lower than 60 per cent of GDP,” Persianis stated, despite anticipated overruns regarding the trajectory of net primary national expenditure.
“The liquid assets of the Republic remain close to 10 per cent of GDP, driven primarily by revenues from Kedipes, and provide additional options for the state,” Persianis said during a roundtable discussion on the Cypriot economy.
Inflation is recording trends near zero in 2025, specifically around 0.2 per cent, and is expected to move slightly higher than 2 per cent in 2026, he mentioned.
“Geography cannot determine opportunities,” Keravnos underlined during the opening of the session.
“Agriculture and livestock farming must remain a key element of Cohesion Policy,” he stressed while closing the meeting with a reference to the foot and mouth disease crisis currently affecting Cyprus.
“Products start from these sectors, there is production related to the food chain, health, human protection, and environmental protection, and from there it is also related to industrial production, exports, and general prosperity,” he emphasised.
“Over these last two or three days, we had a tragic episode in Cyprus, where foot and mouth disease appeared in sheep, goats, and cows, and at this moment thousands of animals must be culled,” he noted.
“We must think of the farmers and livestock breeders behind these people, whose properties, work, and incomes that supported their families have been destroyed,” he said.
The exchange stated that it has admitted for listing on the Stock Exchange, pursuant to Article 58(1) of the Securities and Cyprus Stock Exchange Law, 50,000 13-Week Treasury Bills, 2nd issue, Series 2026 (27/02/2026 – 29/05/2026), each of a nominal value of €1,000.
The total value of the issue amounts to €50,000,000, and the bills resulted from the auction conducted on February 20, 2026.
The first session, titled ‘Women in science: when equality strengthens innovation’, examined the persistent underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), the impact of visible role models on career choices and the structural barriers that continue to affect research and innovation.
The initiative is intended as an open channel between institutions and society, with a particular emphasis on youth engagement.
Organisers said the inclusion of media representatives recognised the press’s influence in shaping perceptions around gender roles and professional opportunity.
Addressing the event, gender equality commissioner, Josie Christodoulou, said the ‘Gender equality dialogues’ aim to move equality policy beyond formal commitments and into everyday realities.
Across the European Union in 2024, the average pension for women aged 65 or over was 24.5 per cent lower than that for men, according to the data.
In Cyprus, the corresponding average gender pension gap stood at 29 per cent, exceeding both the EU average and Greece, where the gap reached 23.8 per cent.
The conference, organised by Invest Cyprus in collaboration with the Financial Times’, will take place on February 26 at Bracken House.
The event will bring together fund managers, private market investors, institutional representatives and business executives from the United Kingdom and across Europe, as part of the government’s effort to strengthen Cyprus’ international footprint and attract quality foreign investment.
Piki will join discussions on the investment landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean and the prospects for foreign direct investment in a changing global economic environment.
The programme opens with remarks by Jacopo Dettoni, Editor of fDi Intelligence, followed by a welcome from Evgenios Evgeniou, chairman of Invest Cyprus.
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) decelerated to 1.2 per cent compared with January 2025, when it stood at 2.9 per cent, while falling by 0.3 per cent month-on-month.
On an annual basis, the strongest increases were recorded in recreation, sports and culture, up 5.8 per cent, followed by restaurants and accommodation services, up 4.8 per cent, and educational services, up 3.4 per cent.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 3.2 per cent, alcoholic beverages and tobacco by 0.9 per cent, health by 0.5 per cent, and personal care and miscellaneous goods by 1.2 per cent.
The Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA) expressed its satisfaction with the sector’s continued positive course, while CIFA president Maria Panayiotou reiterated that quality growth and strengthening the ecosystem’s credibility remain a strategic priority.
According to the data, the number of Authorised, Registered and Approved Management Companies and Undertakings for Collective Investments with operations reached 260, marking a historic high for the industry.
In a circular to its members, the chamber said that the draft legislation entitled “Security of Networks and Information Systems (Fees) Regulations” has been published for consultation and remains at a preliminary stage, as it has not yet been finalised.
The proposed regulations provide for the imposition and collection of funding fees exclusively from organisations and undertakings that may be designated by the competent Authority as “essential” or “important entities” under existing and forthcoming legislation on the security of networks and information systems.
According to the announcement, such designation applies to entities operating in sectors of heightened criticality and follows an official assessment by the competent authority.
The figures were published in Eurostat’s December 2025 edition of key figures on the European food chain.
The report traces the journey of food from farm to fork and covers production, processing, distribution, international trade, consumption and environmental concerns, while focusing in this instance on the value added by agriculture.
According to the data, the value added from the EU’s agricultural industry amounted to 1.2 per cent of gross domestic product in 2024, which was 0.1 percentage points higher than in 2009.
The ratio of the agricultural industry’s value added to GDP was notably higher in Greece at 3.2 per cent, Romania at 2.5 per cent and Spain at 2.3 per cent than in other EU countries.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), the globally recognised economist highlighted that Cyprus sits within one of the most vulnerable Mediterranean regions regarding climate change.
“The increase in temperature, water scarcity, and pressure on ecosystems require integrated, long-term planning,” Koundouri stated.
The energy transition constitutes a strategic opportunity for the country to redefine its economic model, she explained to the Cypriot agency.
The survey is being conducted in preparation for the event titled “Financial literacy for life – European citizens dialogue”, which will take place with the participation of European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union Maria Luís Albuquerque and CBC governor Christodoulos Patsalides.
According to the central bank, the initiative aims to capture public sentiment on matters related to saving and investing so that policymakers can better understand citizens’ concerns and expectations.
The questionnaire has been available since February 24, 2026 and will remain open until February 28, 2026.
In a filing submitted to the Cyprus Stock Exchange in Nicosia, the company informed shareholders and the investing public that it has begun the necessary procedures for the proposed admission.
The exchange in question, NSE International Exchange, is located at GIFT City, India and operates as an international multi-asset exchange.
It is also a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India, according to the announcement.
The event was held as part of the New Year’s Members Dinner and brought together leading figures from the Family Office community and senior financial executives for dialogue on global investment trends.
The event convened distinguished members of the Family Office community and senior executives from the financial sector for a substantive discussion on developments in the international investment environment.
F.O.C. Family Office Connect Cyprus operates as a platform dedicated to promoting dialogue, collaboration and innovation within the Family Office ecosystem in Cyprus and internationally.
Through targeted events and strategic initiatives, it seeks to strengthen the institutional organisation of the sector and contribute to establishing Cyprus as a credible and competitive jurisdiction for Family Office services.