60% of Cyprus residents aged 25–34 have higher education — the fourth-highest rate in the EU

Higher education has been attained by 60% of Cyprus residents aged 25 to 34 — the fourth-highest rate in the European Union. These are 2025 figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Twenty years ago, the figure was considerably lower: in 2005, 41.3% of young Cypriots had a higher education degree. Over two decades, the share increased by 18.7 percentage points.

Only three EU countries ranked above Cyprus: Ireland at 66.8%, Luxembourg at 65% and Lithuania at 60.8%. The EU average was 44.8%.

Across the EU as a whole, the share of people aged 25–34 with higher education increased from 27.2% in 2005 to 44.8% in 2025, an increase of 17.6 percentage points. The bloc has set a target of reaching at least 45% by 2030, and Cyprus has already exceeded this benchmark.

The gap between men and women persists: in 2025, 50.5% of women in this age group in the EU had higher education, compared with 39.3% of men.

There is also a clear difference between urban and rural areas: in large cities, 55% of young EU residents have a higher education degree; in towns and suburbs, the figure is 38.4%, while in rural areas it is 32.9%. Malta recorded the largest increase over the twenty-year period, at 29.9 percentage points, while Finland saw the smallest rise, at 0.7 percentage points.