Cyprus continued to rank among the European Union’s highest countries for car ownership per capita in 2023, while remaining near the bottom for electric vehicle (EV) adoption, according to newly released data from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency.

The figures show that in 2023, Cyprus had 647 passenger vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants (or 0.65 vehicles per person), an increase from 633 per 1,000 (0.63 per person) in 2022. Car ownership in Cyprus has steadily risen since 1990, when the country recorded 304 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants (0.30 per person).

In contrast, the EU average in 2023 remained stable at 0.55 cars per person, nearly unchanged from 2022.

Despite its high vehicle ownership, Cyprus remains one of the lowest-ranked EU regions for electric vehicle penetration, with EVs accounting for just 0.3% of all passenger cars.

According to Eurostat’s regional transport statistics (NUTS 2 level), Cyprus is treated as a single statistical region for this analysis. The data reveal a stark contrast between car ownership and sustainable mobility in the country.

The top three EU regions in car ownership per 1,000 inhabitants in 2023 were all in Italy. 

Of the ten EU regions with the highest car ownership, six were in Italy. The remaining four were located in Finland, Greece (Attica), the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic.

Among the bottom ten regions, four were in Greece, two in France, two in Romania, and one each in Germany (Berlin) and Austria (Vienna).

Among the top ten EV-performing regions, five were in Denmark, two in the Netherlands, two in Sweden, and one in Belgium.

By contrast, the lowest EV shares—nearly zero—were found in six Greek regions, two in Spain, and two in Poland. Cyprus was also among the worst performers with an EV share of just 0.3%.