Increases in the prices of goods and services, rising energy costs, crime, and corruption are the most pressing concerns in Cyprus, according to the survey conducted for the Cyprus Consumers' Union and Quality of Life by CMRC Cypronetwork, part of the Cypronetwork group. The results were presented at a press conference on Tuesday at the Journalists' House.

According to the survey findings, the two most concerning issues in Cyprus today are the increases in prices of goods and services and energy costs, with 84% and 72% of respondents respectively highlighting these concerns. Crime and violence follow at 38%, corruption at 32%, poverty and social inequality at 30%, income reduction at 18%, climate change at 13%, high taxes at 10%, unemployment at 7%, insecurity from the war in Ukraine at 6%, the COVID-19 pandemic at 3%, and other issues at 2%.

At the press conference, when asked about sectors where they noticed price increases, respondents spontaneously identified food and essential goods at 56%, electricity at 44%, clothing and footwear at 32%, water at 31%, home equipment at 19%, entertainment at 13%, electronics at 13%, telecommunications and TV at 11%, travel at 10%, education at 10%, and medicines at 8%.

Additionally, 40% of respondents stated, "we are just managing with our income," while around 30% reported struggling slightly (19%), quite a bit (9%), and 1% said they are facing survival issues. Conversely, the number of households that report living comfortably with their income has increased from 21% in 2023 to 30% in 2024.

Regarding the income variation of Cypriot households over the last six months, 58% said their income remained stable compared to 2023, with 63% stating "it has stayed the same," 4% saying "it has decreased significantly," 13% "it has decreased," 17% "it has increased," and 1% "it has increased significantly."

Mr. Aristodimou commented that while 63% claim their income has remained the same, taking inflation into account, there is effectively a 10-15% decrease in income in some cases.

When asked about product prices in general, regardless of their household income, 91% of survey participants said prices "have increased," 6% said "they have remained the same," and 3% said "they have decreased."

It was also mentioned that overall purchases have slightly decreased compared to 2023, with the percentage dropping from 18% to 12%. The percentage of those whose purchases remained stable has not changed significantly compared to the previous survey in 2023, with the reduction percentage decreasing from 40% to 34% in 2024. In 2024, 54% of purchases remained stable.

Regarding significant allocations from household income, 45% is spent on home maintenance, followed by 38% on a better quality of life. Other expenses include children's education at 29%, savings at 26%, travel at 25%, and entertainment at 25%. Smaller percentages were recorded for personal education/training at 11%, major purchases (cars, vacation homes) at 7%, planning for building/buying a house at 5%, and investments at 3%.

Respondents were asked to evaluate statements regarding reduced spending on specific categories, a shift to private label products, increased expenses, etc. The results showed that 88% have increased various expenses (electricity, phone, water, etc.), 56% have reduced holidays, 53% have cut entertainment expenses, and 53% have decreased spending on branded supermarket products. Meanwhile, 82% do not plan to buy a house, 79% will not purchase furniture, electronics, or cars, 84% will not renovate their home, and 75% will not buy technology products.

Additionally, 72% said that improving quality of life is very important, while 68% do not consider planning for buying or building a house significant. Mr. Michailidis pointed out a serious housing issue, with 4 out of 10 young people still living with their parents due to an inability to rent or buy a house or apartment.

When asked if their family has any loans, 54% responded "No," 44% "Yes," and 2% "don't know/didn't answer." Regarding the burden of these loans, 57% said "considerable," 23% "somewhat," 11% "very," 8% "extremely," and 1% "don't know/didn't answer."

When asked about the country's economic outlook for the next six months, 33% said it would be "stable," 10% "slightly positive," 10% "very negative," 37% "slightly negative," 10% "very negative," and 10% "don't know/didn't answer."

Regarding their knowledge of consumer rights, respondents said 17% "none," 45% "a little," 31% "fairly well," 3% "well," 3% "very well," and 2% "don't know/didn't answer." Additionally, 75% knew about the Consumer Protection Service of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, while 75% were unaware of the Single Body for the Out-of-Court Settlement of Financial Disputes.

Regarding the evaluation of state protection measures for consumers, 23% said they were "not at all good," 39% "somewhat good," 9% "fairly good," 1% "good," 1% "very good," and 27% "don't know/didn't answer." Mr. Aristodimou commented that "the state should consider these issues and help citizens improve their quality of life."

Finally, respondents were asked to evaluate the state's transparency and responsiveness. In terms of transparency, 76% rated it "not at all/little good," and for responsiveness during phone communication, 79% rated it "not at all/little good."