Cyprus state workforce data for October 2026

In October 2026, the number of state employees in Cyprus reached 55,317, marking a year-on-year increase of 341 individuals or 0.6 percent compared to October 2025. This growth was primarily driven by the security forces, which saw a 2.8 percent increase to 14,065 employees, and the educational service, which grew by 0.7 percent to 18,292. Conversely, the civil service, the largest sector, experienced a decline of 0.7 percent, dropping to 22,960 staff members.

Data from the Statistical Service (Cystat) indicates a notable shift in employment categories. Permanent staff represented the only growing category with a 3.5 percent increase, rising to 33,961 employees. In contrast, fixed-term employment saw a sharp decline of 13.1 percent. Within the security forces, hourly-paid staff surged by 14.2 percent, whereas fixed-term personnel plummeted by 97.6 percent. Officials attribute this specific reduction in fixed-term security contracts to the expiration and non-renewal of agreements starting in August 2025.

For the period between January and October 2026, the average number of state employees rose by 0.5 percent compared to the same period in 2025. The data confirms an ongoing restructuring of the state workforce through shifting contract types and service-specific staffing levels.