Cyprus is steadily strengthening its position on the European technology map, with the country’s highly educated ICT workforce offering a strong foundation for its digital ambitions, CITEA director Matina Zisiadou said.

Writing on behalf of the Cyprus Information Technology Enterprises Association (CITEA), Zisiadou said that “the numbers speak for themselves”, referring to the latest Eurostat data for 2025, which showed that 96.4 per cent of Cyprus’ information and communication technologies workers hold a tertiary education degree.

She said this was “not just another positive statistical indicator”, but rather confirmation of “a conscious shift”, as Cyprus continues to invest in human capital, mature as a technology ecosystem and claim a stronger role as a regional innovation hub in areas such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence and international technology services.

However, Zisiadou also pointed to a serious challenge behind this progress, noting that women represent only 14.9 per cent of ICT workers in Cyprus.

easyCourier is significantly expanding its presence in Cyprus, marking a new growth trajectory for delivery and distribution services in the country.

With a strong emphasis on technology, flexibility and customer experience, the company is investing in smarter, faster and more user-friendly courier services across Cyprus.

This development marks a significant step for the logistics sector and follows the strategic investment by Vassos Eliades Ltd in Svelta Courier, which has now been rebranded as easyCourier and has become part of the easy family of brands.

The operation of easyCourier in Cyprus reflects a strategic evolution that combines the technological foundation and operational expertise developed by Svelta Courier with the international reach and brand recognition of easyGroup, the creator and owner of the easy family of brands.

The official launch of easyCourier took place at a special event attended by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the creator and owner of the easy family of brands.

The Kazakhstan-Cyprus Business Forum was held in Astana as part of the first official visit of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, to Kazakhstan.

The event brought together the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, President Christodoulides, and more than 70 representatives from the business communities of both countries to discuss priority areas for cooperation in trade, logistics, agriculture, IT, artificial intelligence, fintech and investment.

Freedom Holding Corp., one of the largest investment holding companies operating across Central Asia and Europe, served as the strategic partner of the forum, reflecting the company’s active role in bridging the investment ecosystems of the two countries.

The forum marked an important step in strengthening economic dialogue between Kazakhstan and Cyprus, focusing on practical opportunities for businesses, investors and institutions.

Cyprus recorded a 7.6 per cent annual rise in registered unemployment in May, although the number of people officially listed as unemployed fell compared with the previous month, according to the Statistical Service (Cystat).

The number of unemployed persons registered at district labour offices reached 7,936 on the last day of May 2026, down from 8,962 in April. However, compared with May 2025, when the figure stood at 7,378, registered unemployment increased by 558 persons.

At the same time, the seasonally adjusted data, which are used to better reflect the underlying trend, also showed a slight monthly improvement. According to Cystat, the number of registered unemployed fell to 10,476 persons in May, from 10,516 in April.

This followed a seasonally adjusted figure of 10,257 in March, 10,085 in February and 10,089 in January.

Cyprus’ inflation rate eased slightly to 2.6 per cent in May 2026, according to figures released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat), although petroleum products continued to record the sharpest annual increase.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased by 0.06 points in May, reaching 102.74 units, compared with 102.80 units in April.

Despite the marginal monthly drop, prices remained higher than a year earlier, with the general index up by 2.55 per cent compared with May 2025. For the first five months of the year, inflation stood at 1.42 per cent compared with the same period of 2025.

Cystat said the largest annual increases by economic origin were recorded in petroleum products, which rose by 22.94 per cent, and agricultural goods, which increased by 4.72 per cent.

Cyprus’ tourism sector is moving towards recovery after a slowdown in March and April, Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis said on Thursday, expressing cautious optimism for the second half of 2026.

In a written statement issued after the release of March tourism revenue figures by the Statistical Service (Cystat), Koumis said the weaker performance recorded during the two months was largely linked to geopolitical developments in the Middle East.

He noted that 2026 had started on a strong footing, with tourist arrivals rising by 8.5 per cent in January and by 9.5 per cent in February compared with the same months last year.

According to Koumis, the figures for the first two months suggested that “Cyprus tourism was heading for a third consecutive tourism record”.

Cyprus’ future investment priorities and the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) financing portfolio were discussed in Nicosia on Thursday during a meeting between Finance Minister Makis Keravnos and EIB vice-president Marek Mora.

According to a statement by the Finance Ministry, Keravnos met Mora during the EIB vice-president’s first official visit to Cyprus.

The visit comes in the context of the bank’s participation in the informal meeting of ministers responsible for cohesion policy, which is taking place in Nicosia.

Mora, a former deputy finance minister of the Czechia, succeeded Cypriot vice-president Kyriacos Kakouris in October 2025.