Cost of living, migration and poverty are key concerns of Cypriots, survey finds

The rising cost of living, poverty and migration are the biggest concerns among citizens in Cyprus, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.

Out of 506 interviews carried out face-to-face in Cyprus between October 12 – 25, a total of 99 per cent of respondents said they were worried about the cost of living, for example increasing food and energy prices.

This was slightly above the EU average which amounted to 93 per cent.

Respondents in Cyprus were also more worried about poverty and social exclusion, at 94 per cent, compared to the EU27’s average of 82 per cent.

Specifically, 45 per cent said they live with some difficulties with their present income, while nine per cent said they were living very comfortably.

The findings come as “the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has been reinforcing global inflation,” with a number of member states expected to plunge into a recession.

“The EU is among the most exposed advanced economies, due to its geographical proximity and heavy reliance on gas imports from Russia. The energy supply crisis adds to pre-existing inflationary pressure and supply chain bottlenecks, not least caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and China’s continued zero Covid-19 policy.

“All of these factors are eroding households’ purchasing power and impacting production. Economic sentiment has fallen markedly. Growth is set to significantly contract at the turn of the year plunging several Member States into recession.”

The results also reveal the highest proportion of citizens across the block being less optimistic about the direction their country is going.

“A clear majority (62 per cent) now think things are going in the wrong direction, an increase of 13 percentage points since April-May 2022 and the highest proportion ever recorded.”

In Cyprus, 64 per cent said things are going in the wrong direction, while 16 per cent believe things are going in the right direction.

Results also showed Cyprus being far more worried about migration at 93 per cent, compared to the EU average at 70 per cent.

“Citizens expect the EU to present solutions to mitigate the compounding effects of the crises we face. High support for the Union, as such, continues, but is founded on the experience gained over the past years that the EU would find solutions to tackle such crises successfully.”

This puts the EU reputation under pressure, the survey revealed, compounded with a five-point decrease since spring 2022, dropping from 52 per cent to 47 cent of citizens holding a positive image of the EU.

“This might be seen as a warning that the EU would indeed need to deliver soon.”