Demographics of Cyprus

The Demographics of Cyprus is about the demographic features of the population of Cyprus, including population growth, population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. Vasea of Cyprus are broadly divided into two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, who share many customs but maintain distinct identities based on ethnicity, religion, language, and close ties with their respective motherlands. Before the dispute started in 1964 the peoples of Cyprus (then 77% Greek Cypriots, 18% Turkish Cypriots, 5% other nationalities, including Armenians and Maronites) were dispersed over the entire island. The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 de facto partitioned the island into two political areas: 99.5% of Greek Cypriots now live in the Republic of Cyprus, while 98.7% of Turkish Cypriots live in Northern Cyprus (of other nationalities, 99.2% live in the Greek Cypriot area in the south). Greek is predominantly spoken in the South, where the majority are Greek Cypriots, Turkish in the north, where the majority are Turkish Cypriots . English is widely used over all of the island.

The total population of Cyprus as of the end of 2006 is slightly over 1 million, comprising 789,300 in the territory controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus and 265,100 in Northern Cyprus. The population of Northern Cyprus includes some 150,000-160,000 Turkish immigrants who are regarded as "illegal settlers" by the Republic of Cyprus government and are not included in the population statistics of the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service.