Cyprus recorded a drop in road deaths for the second year in a row, data released by Eurostat on Tuesday showed.

A total of 34 people lost their lives in traffic accidents across the island in 2023, down from 37 in 2022.

That marks an 8.1 per cent decrease, one of the more notable improvements in the European Union.

Across the EU, 20,380 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2023. This represents a 1.3 per cent decline compared to 2022. While progress remains slow, the figures show a continuing downward trend.

Cyprus also performed better than the EU average when deaths are compared to population size. The country recorded 36 road deaths per million inhabitants, well below the EU average of 46.

Sweden had the lowest fatality rate in the bloc, with just 22 deaths per million people, followed by Denmark with 27 and Malta with 30. In contrast, Bulgaria and Romania recorded the highest figures, both with 81 deaths per million, followed closely by Latvia with 75.

The EU saw its biggest drop in traffic deaths in 2020, when the pandemic forced widespread lockdowns. That year, fatalities fell to 18,830, the lowest number ever recorded. But deaths began rising again in 2021 and 2022, though they remain below pre-pandemic levels.

Cyprus did not see the same sharp decline during the Covid-19 period. Figures show 48 road deaths in 2020, compared to 52 in 2019 and 49 in 2018.

However, since 2021, the island has seen steady year-on-year improvements: from 45 deaths in 2021 to 34 last year.