Cyprus had the fourth highest consumption of plastic bags in the EU in 2022, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. While EU-wide initiatives reduced plastic bag usage by 14% compared to 2021, Cyprus reported a significant per capita consumption, trailing only behind Lithuania, Latvia, and the Czech Republic.

In Cyprus, 2022 data revealed an average of 82.3 bags per person with a thickness of less than 15 μm, 83.8 bags per person for those between 15 and 49 μm, and a total of 166.1 bags per person for bags under 50 μm in thickness.

Among EU member states with available data, Lithuania reported the highest per capita plastic bag usage, with 249 bags per person, followed by Latvia (193) and the Czech Republic (185). Cyprus followed closely with more than 150 bags per person. However, neither Eurostat’s report nor its online resources provided an exact total for Cyprus’s plastic bag usage, only breaking down consumption by bag thickness.

Most plastic bag use in the leading countries involved very lightweight plastic bags, defined as bags with a thickness of less than 15 micrometers (μm).

Belgium recorded the lowest per capita consumption of plastic bags, with only 4 bags per person. Poland followed with 7 bags per person, and Portugal with 13.

Across Europe, a total of 29.8 billion lightweight plastic bags were used in 2022—4.7 billion fewer than in 2021. This decrease translates to an average of 66.6 bags per person, a reduction of 10.8 bags (-14%) per person from the previous year.