New research suggests the island government may be trying to solve the wrong problem.

Cyprus is running out of people. This, our government says, is a crisis. It is a threat to our economy, our pensions, our future. Something must be done!

And so those in charge have invested over 100 million euros in recent years to encourage the island to have more children: baby cash, extended parental leave, subsidized childcare.

But according to a new report by John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter for the Financial Times , Cyprus may be trying to solve the wrong problem. Because the problem is not fewer children. It's fewer couples...

For a long time, we all thought that the declining birth rate – not only in Cyprus but in much of the developed world – was due to couples having fewer children.

In 1950, our island's national birth rate was 3,829 - every woman of childbearing age had almost four children. By the turn of the millennium, that number had halved to 1.7. And since 2020, the island has seen a year-on-year decline in the birth rate of 0.6.

To keep the population stable (without immigration), you need a birth rate of 2.1 children per woman. Cyprus is at 1.37. We are not just below replacement level - our population is shrinking. Without a dramatic turnaround, the island faces an ageing society, labor shortages and increasing pressure on pensions and social benefits.

Our government talks about falling birth rates, the increasing age of women when they give birth to their first child and the increasing life expectancy. And it pays financial incentives to couples or specifically targets young women with the promise of housing benefits, IVF funding or monthly allowances for young mothers under 30.

But what if this was like giving away free gasoline, when the real problem is that no one buys a car?

Because according to the new data, the problem actually starts before babies are born, before families are planned, even before couples decide how many children they want to have. It starts with the reduction in the number of relationships.

This is not a problem unique to Cyprus. Across all continents, the number of young adults married or living in a civil partnership is declining.

The Financial Times speaks of a "relationship recession," a global change in which fewer and fewer people are entering into long-term relationships. Technology is primarily to blame for this: smartphones have replaced small talk, and dating apps have led to indecision.

Women in particular are re-evaluating their options. With financial independence and a broader horizon, they are no longer satisfied with relationships out of necessity. More choice has led to higher expectations - and often to them not entering into a relationship at all.

“It’s not that women don’t want relationships,” says Maria Georgiou, a 34-year-old business lawyer who is single by choice.

"The thing is, we don't have to settle anymore. I have a good job, I'm well educated - I don't need anyone to take care of me. So if I don't have to put up with fools, why should I? If there's a warning sign, I just walk away. If that means not having children, then so be it."

Another reason, the report says, is a shift in priorities. Relationships used to be a milestone - now they are just an option. Career, travel and personal growth take priority, while rising living costs and work pressures make commitments feel like a burden rather than a goal.

"When my father was my age, he had a full-time job for ten years and was married for two," says 26-year-old Mark Pantelides. "But I've just finished my master's degree. I need to find a decent job, pay for my studies and put down roots before I can even think about a serious relationship. Given the low wages in Cyprus and the ever-increasing cost of living, it's unrealistic to expect that I can afford to get into a relationship and start a family."

As a man, Mark also has to navigate the changing relationship landscape. The Financial Times notes that while women have embraced their independence, many men still expect traditional roles, so it's no surprise that fewer people are pairing up - or staying together.

Marriage plays a role in this. In Cyprus, only 20 percent of births occur outside of marriage, one of the lowest rates in the EU. At the same time, the divorce rate on the island has risen from 0.2 per 1,000 inhabitants in 1964 to 2.6 in 2019. But while marriage has become less stable, the idea that children should come from traditional family structures remains deeply rooted - offering fewer viable routes to parenthood.

"Maybe I'll adopt one day," says 28-year-old financial analyst Stella Lazarou. "I know it's not an easy path in Cyprus, where biological family is everything and women are still pressured to marry. But I'd rather go it alone than settle for the wrong person just to fit the mold."

This "relationship recession" is not just a vague trend - it is leading to radical social changes around the world. In South Korea, the "4B" movement encourages women to forgo dating, marriage, sex and childbearing altogether, pointing to gender inequality and outdated expectations. In Japan, a whole generation of so-called "herbivores" are turning away from relationships altogether. Even in Africa, similar patterns are emerging, as increased connectivity spreads liberal values, empowers women and changes expectations about relationships and marriage.

The message is clear across cultures: For many people, relationships are no longer a given – they are a choice. And more and more often they are choosing to remain single.

The Financial Times argues that this is not a phenomenon unique to the developed world - it hits the poorest sections of society the hardest. Marriage rates are falling fastest among those with the least financial security, suggesting that economic factors play a bigger role than we think.

And with the cost of living in Cyprus rising, wages stagnating and housing becoming increasingly unaffordable, it's easy to understand why young people are hesitant to afford a steady life.

Add in changing cultural expectations, digital distraction (our island's social media usage is among the highest in the world) and the growing lure of independence, and the picture becomes clear: fewer relationships, fewer babies and a future that no government cash incentive can save. Maybe our authorities should subsidise speed dating instead?















Source: Cyprusmail.com
Author: Alix Norman