The turnover value index for services and transport in Cyprus recorded broad increases in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period of 2025, according to the statistical service (Cystat).

According to the figures, accommodation and food service activities rose by 3.9 per cent, while transport and storage activities increased by 3.5 per cent.

Professional, scientific and technical activities were up by 3 per cent, followed by real estate activities, which rose by 2.8 per cent.

Administrative and support service activities also recorded growth, increasing by 0.8 per cent, while information and communication activities edged up by 0.2 per cent.

In terms of index levels, information and communication remained the highest among the main sectors, reaching 184.2 points in the first quarter of 2026, compared with 184 points in the same period last year.

Administrative and support service activities followed at 145 points, up from 143.8 points, while professional, scientific and technical activities reached 140.1 points, compared with 136 points in the first quarter of 2025.

Real estate activities stood at 135.4 points, up from 131.7 points, while transport and storage reached 131.2 points, compared with 126.8 points a year earlier.

Accommodation and food service activities recorded an index of 115.4 points, rising from 111 points in the corresponding quarter of 2025.

In transport and storage, the overall 3.5 per cent rise was supported mainly by air transport, which jumped by 21.3 per cent compared with the first quarter of 2025.

Land transport and transport via pipelines also increased, rising by 7.3 per cent, while warehousing and support activities for transportation were up by 2.9 per cent.

However, water transport declined by 1 per cent, while postal and courier activities fell by 0.7 per cent.

The latest quarterly performance follows a 2.8 per cent increase in transport and storage for the whole of 2025 compared with 2024.

In accommodation and food services, turnover rose by 3.9 per cent overall. Food and beverage service activities increased by 5.1 per cent, although accommodation slipped by 0.5 per cent.

This comes after accommodation and food service activities recorded a stronger 9.5 per cent rise for the full year 2025 compared with 2024.

Within that annual figure, accommodation rose by 10.3 per cent, while food and beverage service activities increased by 8.8 per cent.

Information and communication activities recorded only a marginal increase of 0.2 per cent, despite sharp growth in information service activities, which surged by 38.5 per cent.

This was partly offset by declines in several other areas. Publishing activities fell by 1.2 per cent, while motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing dropped by 17.9 per cent.

Computer programming, consultancy and related activities also declined by 1.7 per cent. By contrast, telecommunications rose by 1 per cent, while programming and broadcasting activities increased by 0.8 per cent.

For the whole of 2025, information and communication activities had recorded a 4.3 per cent increase compared with 2024.

During that period, information service activities posted the strongest increase, rising by 27.7 per cent, while programming and broadcasting activities were up by 4.1 per cent.

Publishing activities rose by 3.5 per cent in 2025, telecommunications by 2.7 per cent, and computer programming, consultancy and related activities by 3.8 per cent.

However, motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities declined by 0.8 per cent over the same period.

Professional, scientific and technical activities expanded by 3 per cent during the quarter.

Within the sector, advertising and market research rose by 8.3 per cent, while architectural and engineering activities, including technical testing and analysis, increased by 4.4 per cent.

Legal and accounting activities were up by 2.3 per cent, while other professional, scientific and technical activities rose slightly, by 0.3 per cent.

At the same time, activities of head offices and management consultancy services declined by 0.9 per cent.

For the whole of 2025, professional, scientific and technical activities had risen by 4.6 per cent compared with 2024.

Other professional, scientific and technical activities increased by 6.8 per cent last year, while advertising and market research rose by 6 per cent.

Activities of head offices and management consultancy services were up by 5.2 per cent, legal and accounting activities by 3.4 per cent, while architectural and engineering activities declined by 1.8 per cent.

Administrative and support service activities posted a smaller overall increase of 0.8 per cent.

Rental and leasing activities rose by 3.5 per cent, while security and investigation activities increased by 4.8 per cent.

Services to buildings and landscape activities were up by 3.1 per cent, while office administrative, office support and other business support activities rose by 0.6 per cent.

However, employment activities fell by 1.2 per cent, while travel agency, tour operator reservation services and related activities recorded a sharper decline of 9.6 per cent.

The sector had recorded a much stronger annual increase in 2025, rising by 7.4 per cent compared with 2024.

Office administrative, office support and other business support activities had increased by 11.2 per cent over the full year, while security and investigation activities rose by 9.4 per cent.

Rental and leasing activities were up by 8.4 per cent, services to buildings and landscape activities by 6.1 per cent, and travel agency and related reservation services by 5.6 per cent.

By contrast, employment activities declined by 1.2 per cent in 2025.

Finally, real estate activities rose by 2.8 per cent in the first quarter, continuing the sector’s modest upward trend following a 0.4 per cent increase recorded for the whole of 2025 compared with 2024.

The index uses 2021 as its base year and measures quarterly changes in turnover against the average quarterly turnover recorded during that year.

Cystat said the index is calculated at current prices and is produced for the various divisions of the statistical classification of economic activities that make up the services and transport sectors.

The aggregated sector indices are calculated as a weighted average of the divisions included in each sector, with weights based on the annual services and transport survey for the 2021 base year.