The number of government employees in Cyprus has experienced an increase over recent years, according to a report released on Monday by the state’s statistical service.
Specifically, the total number of government employees reached 55,248 by the end of 2024, compared to 54,546 in December 2023.
In 2022, the figure stood at 53,686, while in 2021 it was 53,054. The 2020 total was 52,470, identical to the pre-pandemic level of 2019.
For the full year of 2024, government employment averaged 54,546 workers, marking an increase of 1,615 employees or 3.1 per cent compared to 2023.
The growth was primarily attributed to the hiring of temporary staff in the education service, following the elimination of service-purchase contracts in support programmes introduced by the Ministry of Education during the 2023–2024 academic year.
In December 2024, the public service employed 12,034 permanent staff, 4,184 workers on indefinite contracts, 1,348 on fixed-term contracts, and 5,700 hourly workers.
Permanent employees made up 51.7 per cent of the total workforce, while those on fixed-term contracts represented 5.8 per cent.
The education service had 12,470 permanent staff, 962 workers on indefinite contracts, 4,619 on fixed-term contracts, and 158 hourly workers.
Permanent employees in this sector accounted for 68.5 per cent, with hourly workers making up just 0.9 per cent.
In the security forces, there were 8,302 permanent employees, 4,429 on indefinite contracts, 292 on fixed-term contracts, and 750 hourly workers.
Permanent employees represented 60.3 per cent, while those on fixed-term contracts comprised 2.1 per cent.
