Employee compensation as share of government spending in Cyprus
Cyprus: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 27.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Cyprus, 1972–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employee compensation as share of government spending in Cyprus is 27.4%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Cyprus peaked at 44.9% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 24.5%, in 2014.
Cyprus ranks 69th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Cyprus, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 44.9% | — |
| 1973 | 40.9% | -8.7% |
| 1974 | 39.8% | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 40.2% | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 38.8% | -3.5% |
| 1977 | 38.3% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 37.7% | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 41.0% | +8.8% |
| 1980 | 39.0% | -4.9% |
| 1981 | 39.8% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 39.1% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 35.5% | -9.2% |
| 1984 | 37.5% | +5.8% |
| 1985 | 36.3% | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 38.9% | +7.0% |
| 1987 | 36.0% | -7.3% |
| 1988 | 34.0% | -5.6% |
| 1989 | 32.7% | -3.7% |
| 1990 | 30.7% | -6.3% |
| 1991 | 31.3% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 30.3% | -3.5% |
| 1993 | 31.9% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 32.5% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 38.6% | +18.6% |
| 1996 | 39.0% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 38.5% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 35.4% | -8.0% |
| 1999 | 35.8% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 35.4% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 33.8% | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 33.4% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 34.2% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 34.2% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 32.9% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 33.3% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 33.2% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 32.6% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 33.7% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 32.9% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 32.5% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 26.0% | -19.8% |
| 2013 | 30.0% | +15.4% |
| 2014 | 24.5% | -18.6% |
| 2015 | 28.5% | +16.3% |
| 2016 | 29.2% | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 29.5% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 26.4% | -10.6% |
| 2019 | 28.4% | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 27.9% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 27.1% | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 27.8% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 27.4% | -1.4% |
Cyprus compared with similar countries
- Cyprus's 27.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 1.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Cyprus's 27.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.4%, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.2% | 37.7% | 44.9% | 8 |
| 1980s | 36.9% | 32.7% | 39.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.4% | 30.3% | 39.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.7% | 32.6% | 35.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.8% | 24.5% | 32.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.5% | 27.1% | 27.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cyprus
More work & labour data for Cyprus
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.3415 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.3363 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.3471 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6588 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1,030 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 353.01 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 631.64 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 643.71 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1,275 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Cyprus?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Cyprus was 27.4% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Cyprus?
- The highest recorded value was 44.9% in 1972.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Cyprus?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.5% in 2014.
- How does Cyprus rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Cyprus ranks 69th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Cyprus?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cyprus data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.