Cyprus faces criticism over education spending and pupil outcomes

Data released by the European Commission and the OECD this week reveals that Cyprus allocates a disproportionately high share of its public budget to education, despite consistently poor academic performance among pupils. In 2024, the country spent €1.8 billion on education, accounting for 13.2 percent of its public expenditure and 5 percent of its GDP, significantly higher than the EU average of 9.7 percent. This represents a 2.5 percentage point increase since 2014, marking the largest rise among member states.

A significant portion of these funds is dedicated to staff salaries, with Cyprus ranking second in the EU for education spending directed toward personnel. Teachers benefit from strong career progression, starting with an annual salary of €26,600, which can reach up to €66,323 at the top of the scale, representing a potential increase of approximately 150 percent.

Critics, including local media, argue that the system is structured primarily to benefit teachers—who receive guaranteed pay raises and promotions without performance assessments—rather than students. This teacher-centric model has been blamed for declining educational standards, forcing many families to seek private tutoring to compensate for the deficiencies in the public school system.