A second Cyprus appears to exist far beyond the island’s shores. According to new data presented in Parliament by Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos, the number of Cypriots living abroad may actually exceed those residing on the island itself.

Based on official figures, an estimated 650,000 to 760,000 Greek Cypriots live outside Cyprus, while the 2021 national census recorded 719,252 Cypriot citizens living in the Republic. This suggests that, for the first time, the global Cypriot community could outnumber the population at home.

The Greek Cypriot diaspora extends across nearly every continent. Data gathered through institutional bodies representing overseas Cypriot communities indicates the following distribution:

• United Kingdom: 350,000 – 450,000

• United States: 70,000 – 80,000

• Australia and New Zealand: 80,000

• Greece: 70,000

• Canada: 35,000

• South Africa: 35,000

• Rest of Europe: 5,000

• Other African countries: 5,000

The UK alone hosts a community potentially larger than half the population of Cyprus itself.

While official figures are scarcer, the Turkish Cypriot diaspora also spans the globe, with major concentrations in a handful of key countries. Like their Greek Cypriot counterparts, Turkish Cypriots migrated in waves over the decades — initially after World War II, later during the 1950s intercommunal tensions, and in large numbers following the 1974 invasion.

Key Turkish Cypriot diaspora hubs include:

• United Kingdom (130,000–200,000): The largest Turkish Cypriot diaspora community worldwide, mainly concentrated in North and East London (Haringey, Enfield, Hackney, Islington), with smaller populations in Luton, Leicester, and Birmingham.

• Turkey (50,000–100,000+): A significant population settled in İzmir, Mersin, Antalya, Ankara, and Istanbul, driven by education and family ties post-1974.

• Australia (20,000–25,000): A well-established community in Sydney and Melbourne, formed primarily during the 1960s–1980s migration waves.

• Canada: A smaller but active community in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

• United States: Several thousand Turkish Cypriots live in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and California.

• Other European countries: Scattered groups in Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, often connected to broader Turkish migrant networks.