Cyprus state payroll sees steady increase in permanent staff

Total government employment in Cyprus reached 55,331 persons during February 2026, marking a marginal increase of 35 employees compared to the same month in the previous year, according to the state statistical service (Cystat).

This figure represents a growth of 0.1 per cent in the state workforce over the twelve-month period ending in February.

Within the various branches of government, employment in the civil service declined by 0.9 per cent while personnel numbers in the security forces fell by 0.5 per cent.

In contrast, the educational service bucked the downward trend by recording an increase of 1.8 per cent in its total staff count.

When examining the nature of employment, the largest overall increase was found in the category of employees with contracts of indefinite duration, which rose by 1.6 per cent.

Conversely, the most significant decline was noted among those working under contracts of definite duration, a group that saw numbers shrink by 0.9 per cent compared to February 2025.

A more detailed analysis of specific services revealed that the largest percentage jump occurred for employees with indefinite contracts within the educational service, where numbers surged by 25.2 per cent.

The most dramatic reduction across the entire government sector was observed for employees with definite duration contracts in the security forces, which plummeted by 85.4 per cent.

The significant decrease observed in the number of employees with contracts of definite duration in the security forces is mainly attributed to the completion and non-renewal of specific definite duration contracts in July 2025, according to the Statistical Service.

Taking a broader view of the year so far, the average total government employment for the period of January to February 2026 increased by 0.3 per cent compared to the corresponding two months of 2025.

These latest figures highlight a shift toward more permanent employment structures despite the overall stagnation in recruitment across the civil and security branches.

The data suggests that while certain short-term roles are being phased out, the state education system remains the primary driver of public sector workforce expansion.

This stability in the total headcount reflects the ongoing management of public personnel as specific contract cycles reach their natural end without immediate replacement.

The Statistical Service concluded its report by confirming that the 0.1 per cent increase maintains the public sector workforce at just over 55,000 active employees.