Eurostat 2025 data on youth employment and self-employment in the EU and Cyprus

According to 2025 Eurostat data, the youth employment rate for individuals aged 20-29 in Cyprus reached 72.3%, surpassing the European Union average of 65.6%. Across the EU, the total youth employment rate increased by 6.3 percentage points compared to 2015. In terms of self-employment, there were approximately 2.06 million individuals aged 20-29 in the EU, representing 7.9% of all self-employed people aged 20-64. In Cyprus, the total number of self-employed persons aged 20-64 reached 41,400. Slovakia recorded the highest share of young entrepreneurs among the self-employed at 12.2%, while Ireland reported the lowest at 5.1%. Member states like Malta and Germany also showed high youth employment rates at 82.1% and 77% respectively, whereas Italy and Romania reported lower figures. The report highlighted that self-employment remains a minority, though significant, part of the broader EU business landscape.