Cypriots rated their satisfaction with their financial situation at 6.4 out of 10 in 2022, up from 5.2 in 2013 and 6.1 in 2018, according to figures from Eurostat released on Thursday.

The figure leaves Cyprus just short of the EU average of 6.6, despite one of the sharpest improvements in the bloc over the past decade. 

At the top end, people in the Netherlands and Finland reported the highest levels of financial satisfaction at 7.6, followed by Sweden (7.4) and Austria (7.3).  

On the contrary, Bulgaria scored the lowest with 4.6, while Greece stood at 5.3, alongside Croatia (5.7), Slovakia (5.8) and Hungary and Latvia (both 5.9). 

Cyprus’ rise of 1.2 points since 2013 matches the gains in Ireland and was only surpassed by Portugal. In contrast, Greece, despite being a close neighbour, continues to rank among the least satisfied in the EU. 

Financial contentment, however, remains weaker than other well-being measures.  

Across the EU, people rated their overall life satisfaction at 7.1 in 2022, compared with 6.6 for finances. Cyprus reflected this pattern, with life satisfaction at around 7.2. 

When it comes to leisure time, Cypriots were less positive. They rated it at 6.2 in 2022, down from 6.6 in 2018, against an EU average of 6.8 which has remained stable.  

The highest leisure scores were recorded in Finland (7.7) and Denmark and Slovenia (7.5), while the lowest were in Greece (5.5) and Bulgaria (5.7). 

The data come from the EU statistics on income and living conditions, the bloc’s main survey for monitoring income distribution, poverty, social inclusion, and quality of life.