Cyprus placed third from last in Europe in the United Nations’ sustainable development solutions network’s (SDSN) sustainable development index for 2024, it was reported on Monday.

The island ranked 32nd out of 34 countries and secured a total score of 62.7 out of 100, higher than just North Macedonia (62.5) and Turkey (59.1).

SDSN’s Cyprus office said the score “does not reflect positively on our country”, adding that the “most problematic indicators” include excessive nitrogen use in agriculture, the poor representation of women in parliament, compensatory water imports, the municipal waste recycling rate, plastic waste exports, and carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels.

Of the 17 indicators for the sustainable development goals index, the SDSN found that Cyprus has “major challenges” inhibiting its achievement of nine of them, with only one of them – a lack of poverty – having been achieved.

Other specific causes for concern referenced in the report include the difficulty in booking doctors’ appointments over the internet, the fact that Cypriot children are “underachievers in mathematics”, and the fact that 31.6 per cent of people reportedly live in dwellings with either a leaking roof, damp walls, floors, or foundations, or rot.

In better news, the report found that life expectancy in Cyprus is ‘on target’ at 82.5 years, that ‘out-of-pocket’ payments on healthcare are falling to sustainable rates, that Cyprus’ roads are safe and getting safer, and that tertiary educational attainment is on the rise.

Additionally, it said 99.6 per cent of the island’s population have access to an indoor flushing toilet and a bath or a shower, that 99.77 per cent of the population use safely managed water services, and that broadband access rate has reached 92.3 per cent.

The European Union average score was 72.8, while Greece was in 28th place with a total score of 66.5, and the United Kingdom was in 12th place with a total score of 72.7.

The top three countries were all Nordic, with Finland leading the way with a score of 81.1, Denmark following closely behind in second place with a score of 79.7, narrowly beating Sweden into third place with a score of 79.4.