Cyprus continued in 2023 to rank among the European Union countries with a high number of cars per capita, but a remarkably low number of electric vehicles.

According to new figures released by Eurostat, the EU’s official statistics office, the island had 647 passenger vehicles for every 1,000 residents, slightly up from 633 per 1,000 in 2022.

This steady rise marks a long-term trend. Back in 1990, the earliest year for which data is available, Cyprus had just 304 cars per 1,000 people. Across the EU, the average remained stable in 2023 at 550 cars per 1,000 residents, nearly unchanged from 2022.

However, when it comes to electric vehicles, Cyprus lags far behind. The proportion of electric cars compared to all passenger vehicles stood at just 0.3 per cent in 2023, placing the country near the bottom of the EU rankings.

Eurostat’s report, which breaks down transport statistics by region, notes that car ownership often correlates with economic factors but can also be influenced by special conditions. For example, the Aosta Valley in Italy tops the EU with an extraordinary 2,295 cars per 1,000 residents, partly due to favourable tax rules.

Italy dominates the top ten regions with the highest car ownership, including Trento and Bolzano. Other regions in this group include Attica in Greece, parts of Finland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic.

At the opposite end, the French overseas territory of Mayotte recorded the lowest rate, with just 83 cars per 1,000 inhabitants. Other low-ranking areas include the Peloponnese in Greece and French Guiana.

Regarding electric vehicles, the highest shares were found in parts of the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark. Flevoland in the Netherlands leads with 17.1 per cent of passenger cars being electric. Stockholm in Sweden recorded 10.7 per cent, while Copenhagen and Utrecht, both in Denmark and the Netherlands, respectively, had 8.6 per cent.

In contrast, Greece, Spain, and Poland dominate the regions with the smallest shares of electric cars. Cyprus’ minimal 0.3 per cent share highlights the country’s slow uptake of electric mobility compared to much of Europe.

These statistics underline Cyprus’ continuing dependence on conventional cars as the EU pushes towards greener transport policies.