Cyprus has been ranked first in the world in voluntary unpaid blood donation relative to population size, according to the health ministry, which marked World Blood Donor Day on Sunday with a message highlighting public solidarity and continued donor participation.

The ministry said the country collected 74,279 units of blood, a figure it described as placing Cyprus at the top of international rankings on a per capita basis.

It stated that this outcome reflects what it called “the high sense of solidarity and social responsibility that distinguishes its citizens”.

In its announcement, the ministry said voluntary blood donation remains a central pillar of the health system, ensuring adequate supplies for hospitals and emergency needs.

It added that regular participation by donors supports the “proper functioning of the health system”.

Health authorities and the blood centre expressed gratitude to volunteer donors and platelet donors across the country, describing their contribution as essential to sustaining care for patients in need of transfusions, including accident victims, surgical cases and individuals with chronic or serious illnesses.

The ministry also called on members of the public who are eligible to donate to continue participating, encouraging wider involvement in what it described as a collective social responsibility.