The rate of child poverty in Cyprus is on a “steady decline”, social welfare deputy minister Marilena Evangelou said on Thursday.

Speaking to CyBC radio, she highlighted the fact that according to the latest figures released by the European Union’s statistical agency, Eurostat, the island has the second-lowest proportion of children who are considered to be “in danger of poverty and social exclusion”.

In total, 14.8 per cent of children in Cyprus – around 26,000 children – were considered to be at risk in 2024, down 1.9 per cent compared to the figure recorded in 2023.

“Cyprus has shown a very significant and tangible improvement in comparison to past years,” Evangelou said, adding that the government’s goal “is for no child in Cyprus to be in danger of poverty or social exclusion”.

She went on to say that the results reflect “the fundamental support for the family and children” offered by the government since it came to power in 2023.

“We have increased the child support income and have twice expanded subsidies for preschool tuition and meals, and various policies are set in place for certain at-risk populations, such as electricity subsidies for large families and single-parent households,” she said.

The government’s most recent such initiative involved an amendment for legislation governing state subsidies to single parents, whereby they no longer forego their right to receive benefits should they choose to cohabit. 

In the EU at large, the rate of children in poverty fell by 0.6 per cent between 2023 and 2024, with a total of 24.2 per cent of children across the bloc – around 19.5 million children – in poverty.

Slovenia had the lowest rate among member states, at 11.8 per cent, followed by Cyprus in second place, with a rate of 14.8 per cent, and the Czech Republic, which reported a rate of 15.4 per cent. 

The highest rate of child poverty was recorded in Bulgaria, which recorded a rate of 35.1 per cent, with Spain and Romania, with rates of 34.6 per cent and 33.8 per cent respectively, recording the second- and third-highest rates.

The largest year-on-year decreases were recorded in Romania, where the rate fell by 5.2 per cent, in Ireland, where the rate fell by 3.7 per cent, and in Hungary, where the rate felly by 3.3 per cent.

The largest year-on-year increases were recorded in Finland, where the rate rose by 3.5 per cent, in Croatia, where the rate rose by two per cent, and in both Bulgaria and Belgium, with both countries’ rates rising by 1.2 per cent.