Source: cyprus-mail.com
The information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Cyprus faced a minor contraction in 2025, with the share of specialists in total employment falling to 4.9 per cent from 5 per cent in the previous year.
According to figures released by Eurostat, 10.45 million people were employed as ICT specialists across the European Union during 2025.
This collective figure accounts for 5.0 per cent of all employed people within the bloc, reflecting a continuing upward trend that has seen the share rise by 0.1 percentage points over the last year and 1.5 percentage points since 2015.
The growth rate of the sector has fluctuated, recording stronger annual increases in 2020 and 2021 before experiencing a notable loss of momentum in recent years.
Annual growth rates moved from 4.0 per cent between 2022 and 2023, to 4.5 per cent between 2023 and 2024, finally slowing to 2.6 per cent between 2024 and 2025.
Despite this recent slowdown, the sector has demonstrated that it is capable of withstanding economic fluctuations through steady growth over the past decade.
Sweden remained at the forefront of the bloc in 2025, recording the highest share of ICT specialists in total employment at 8.9 per cent.
Luxembourg followed closely at 8.7 per cent, Eurostat added, with Finland rounding out the top three at 7.8 per cent.
Conversely, the lowest shares of tech talent were found in Greece at 2.5 per cent, Romania at 2.7 per cent, and Italy at 3.8 per cent.
Historical data for Cyprus shows that the share of ICT specialists in employment was 5.6 per cent in 2023 and 4.4 per cent in 2022, highlighting a period of volatility for the local labour market.
In terms of demographic composition, the European ICT workforce remains heavily male-dominated, with men representing 80.5 per cent of all specialists in 2025.
Women accounted for only 19.5 per cent of the total, though this represents an increase of 3 percentage points compared with 2015.
The gender imbalance is particularly acute in Cyprus, where the workforce distribution in 2025 comprised 79.9 per cent men and 20.1 per cent women.
Across the continent, the lowest shares of women employed as ICT specialists were recorded in the Czech Republic at 12.9 per cent, Hungary at 15.0 per cent, and Slovakia at 15.5 per cent.
In contrast, Romania, Latvia, and Bulgaria observed the highest levels of female participation in the sector, recording 27.8 per cent, 25.9 per cent, and 25.0 per cent respectively.