The number of Greek Cypriots using Cyprus’ nine crossing points to cross to the north fell by more than 15 per cent in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, according to statistics released by the north’s central bank on Sunday.

In total, 645,404 crossings were made by Greek Cypriots in April, May, and June, with 760,810 such crossings having been made over the same period last year.

Broken down by month, exactly 213,280 crossings were made by Greek Cypriots in April, down from 244,456 in April last year, while only 212,457 crossings were made by Greek Cypriots in May, down from 257,258 in May last year, and 219,667 crossings were made by Greek Cypriots in June, down from 259,096 in June last year.

The year’s statistics follow on from a similar fall recorded in the first three months of the year, when exactly 581,764 crossings were made by Greek Cypriots – a fall of just shy of 14 per cent from the 674,069 made in the first three months of last year.

However, the number of Turkish Cypriots crossing into the Republic only continues to rise, according to the same statistics, with there now comfortably more crossings made southwards by Turkish Cypriots each month than crossings made in the opposite direction by Greek Cypriots.

Exactly 812,270 crossings were made by Turkish Cypriots in April, May, and June – an 11 per cent increase on the 735,724 such crossings which were made over the same period last year.

Broken down by month, exactly 256,277 crossings were made by Turkish Cypriots in April, up from 250,277 in April last year, while 276,266 crossings were made by Turkish Cypriots in May, up almost 25 per cent from 222,290 in May last year, and a mammoth 285,727 crossings were made by Greek Cypriots in June, up from 263,162 in June last year.

Those figures also follow on from the trend set by Turkish Cypriots in the first quarter of the year, when exactly 787,033 crossings were made by Turkish Cypriots – a jump of almost 23 per cent from the 641,124 made in the first three months of last year.

Meanwhile, the number of non-Cypriots crossing from the Republic to the north via the crossing points saw a slight fall over the course of April, May, and June compared to the same period last year, with the 528,817 crossings made constituting a one-per-cent fall compared to the 534,492 crossings made over the same period last year.

The fall in northward crossings and the increase in southward crossings comes as the north overtakes the Republic in many aspects of its cost of living – particularly for regular foodstuffs such as meat and dairy.

In previous years, many Greek Cypriots had travelled to the north to buy cheaper produce, though this trend has reversed over the course of the last year.