MPs of the House ad hoc committee on demographics on Tuesday lashed out at the National Agency for Demographic and Family Policy (Evdop), saying it has no concrete plans for dealing with the issue of falling birth rates. 

“Unfortunately, once again we have not received any answers regarding the government’s policy on this important issue,” opposition Disy MP Prodromos Alambritis said after the meeting.

He added that the fertility rate in 2022 was 1.37, while the population replacement rate should be 2.1.

For the last 25 years, Cyprus’ figures have been well below the replacement rate.

According to the 2021 population census, the average household in Cyprus was 2.6 persons, while in 2011 it was 2.8.

People aged over 65 constitute 17.2 per cent of the population, while those under 15 years of age constitute 15.4 per cent.

“Unfortunately, these figures should worry us all,” he added.

He said that there needs to be policies introduced as they are in other countries to tackle the issue.

“Some measures that can be taken are the extension of the income criteria for child stipends and student sponsorship, the extension of all-day schools, as today we have several schools that ask to become optional all-day schools and their request has not been accepted by the education ministry, the taxation of households according to the composition of the family, as well as the strengthening of housing programmes and the granting of a lump sum for each birth, especially for the third, fourth or more child,” he said.

Depa MP Alekos Tryfonides also pointed out that Evdop has only ever met once.

“Unfortunately, the figures we have been presented with are once again disappointing, with the birth rate falling even further in 2023 to 1.2 per cent. I would add that the studies presented to us in previous sessions of the committee show that in 20-25 years the Greek Cypriot population of our country will be halved,” he said.