Cyprus records lowest share of young teachers in EU

A new European Commission report, published in August 2026 and based on data from TALIS 2024 and Eurostat, reveals that Cyprus has one of the lowest proportions of young teachers in the European Union. Only three percent of educators in the country are under the age of 30, matching Portugal for the lowest rate in the bloc. This stands in stark contrast to the EU average of eight percent, while countries like Malta report as high as 17 percent.

Despite the aging demographic, with 33 percent of secondary school teachers aged 50 or older, the report identifies Cyprus as the only EU member state experiencing a teacher surplus. Paradoxically, the profession remains highly regarded by current staff, with 93 percent of Cypriot teachers reporting job satisfaction—higher than the 90 percent EU average—and 73 percent expressing satisfaction with their salaries, significantly exceeding the EU-wide figure of 37.3 percent.

The findings suggest that the challenge lies not in the attractiveness of the teaching profession, but in the difficulty of integrating new graduates into the sector. The average age of secondary school teachers in Cyprus reached 46 in 2024, slightly above the OECD average of 45, highlighting an ongoing demographic shift that officials must address as they plan future educational strategies.