Eurostat reports on holiday affordability in the EU and Cyprus for 2025

In 2025, 27.6% of the population in Cyprus aged 16 and over were unable to afford a one-week annual holiday away from home, according to new Eurostat data. This figure places the island slightly above the European Union average, which stands at 27.5% for the same age group.

The overall EU average saw a slight increase of 0.5 percentage points compared to 2024, yet it remains 7.7 percentage points lower than the levels recorded in 2015. Among member states, Romania reported the highest inability to afford holidays at 61.4%, followed by Greece at 46.6%, and Bulgaria and Hungary at 39.1%. Conversely, countries like Luxembourg at 10.6%, Sweden at 12.4%, and the Netherlands at 12.8% recorded the lowest rates of financial exclusion from annual travel. Outside the EU, Turkey reported that 50.5% of its population could not afford a week-long vacation.

While the data reflects a year-on-year increase in financial strain across the bloc, the long-term historical context indicates a significant improvement in general living standards over the past decade. The report highlights persistent economic disparities between northern and southern European nations regarding leisure expenditure.