Cyprus’ government workforce saw a marginal expansion in 2025, driven by a significant reliance on temporary staff that offset a decline in permanent positions. According to a report by the Statistical Service (Cystat), the average total government employment for the year rose by 0.6% compared to 2024.
This overall increase was primarily sustained by a 6.1% surge in fixed-term employees, which balanced out a 4.8% reduction in the number of permanent civil servants over the course of the year.
Education Leads Sector Growth; Security and Public Service Contract
The distribution of government roles shifted noticeably across different services by the end of the year. While some sectors expanded to meet social needs, others saw a slight reduction in headcount.
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Educational Service: Recorded the strongest performance with a 1.8% increase in staff.
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Public Service: Experienced a contraction of 0.9%.
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Security Forces: Saw a marginal decline of 0.4%.
December 2025: A Year-End Snapshot
By the close of December 2025, the total number of individuals employed by the state reached 55,301. This represents a modest year-on-year addition of 53 people (0.1%) compared to December 2024.
Interestingly, the December data showed a slight reversal in the broader annual trend for permanent staff; in this specific month, the number of permanent employees rose by 0.4%, while hourly-paid workers saw the largest decline (-0.7%) compared to the previous year.
Category Spotlight: The Indefinite vs. Definite Contract Divide
The most dramatic fluctuations occurred within specific contract types:
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Indefinite Growth in Education: The Educational Service saw a staggering 23.5% jump in employees holding contracts of indefinite duration.
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The Security Forces “Cliff”: There was a massive 74% drop in employees with contracts of definite duration within the Security Forces.
The Statistical Service clarified that this sharp 74% decline in security contracts was not a result of mass layoffs but was primarily due to the completion and non-renewal of specific fixed-term contracts in July 2025.
Summary of Workforce Changes
| Metric | 2025 Average Change (YoY) | Dec 2025 YoY Change |
| Total Employment | +0.6% | +0.1% |
| Fixed-Term Staff | +6.1% | Mixed (Sector dependent) |
| Permanent Staff | -4.8% | +0.4% |
| Hourly-Paid Staff | N/A | -0.7% |
Source: Stockwatch.com.cy