Cyprus recorded one of the European Union’s widest gaps in home energy efficiency improvements between vulnerable and better-off households in 2025, according to new data released by Eurostat.

The latest figures showed that 30.3 per cent of Cypriots who were not at risk of poverty or social exclusion lived in homes where energy efficiency had been improved during the previous five years.

By contrast, only 16.7 per cent of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Cyprus reported living in homes that had benefited from energy efficiency improvements over the same period.

This represents a 13.6 percentage point gap, making Cyprus one of the three EU countries with the largest disparities between the two groups.

Only the Netherlands recorded a wider divide, with 63.3 per cent of people not at risk of poverty living in energy-efficiently upgraded homes compared with 45.3 per cent of those at risk, a difference of 18 percentage points.

Denmark ranked third, with 36.4 per cent of people not at risk of poverty living in improved homes, compared with 22.9 per cent among those considered at risk.

Across the European Union, 23.9 per cent of the population lived in a dwelling where energy efficiency had been improved during the previous five years.

However, the EU figures also showed that people facing poverty or social exclusion were significantly less likely to benefit from such upgrades.

Across the bloc, 17.4 per cent of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion lived in homes with improved energy efficiency, compared with 25.6 per cent of those not at risk.

The data suggest that lower-income households across Europe continue to face greater barriers to accessing energy efficiency improvements, despite the potential benefits of lower energy consumption and reduced household costs.

Among member states, the Netherlands recorded the highest overall share, with 60.5 per cent of residents living in homes whose energy efficiency had been improved during the previous five years.

Denmark followed with 34.0 per cent, while France and Slovenia shared third place with 33.3 per cent each.

At the opposite end of the scale, Italy recorded the lowest share at 2.6 per cent, the statistical office reported.

Malta followed with 7.8 per cent, while Greece recorded 9.5 per cent, making them the next lowest-performing member states.

The findings underline that while energy efficiency improvements have become increasingly common across parts of Europe, access to upgraded housing remains uneven both between member states and within individual countries, particularly for households facing economic hardship.