Young people in Cyprus aged 16 to 30 believe that the European Union should prioritize social protection, the cost of living, and job creation, according to the latest Eurobarometer Youth Survey. Their concerns contrast slightly with the EU-wide average, where rising prices and the cost of living, climate change, and employment were identified as top priorities.

Among other findings, 44% of young Cypriots cited social media as their primary source of information on political and social issues, slightly above the EU average of 42%. Additionally, 83% of young Cypriots believe they have recently encountered disinformation (compared to 76% in the EU), while 85% are confident in their ability to detect it (70% in the EU).

The Eurobarometer Youth Survey was conducted by Ipsos between September 25 and October 3, 2024, across all 27 EU member states. A total of 25,863 young people aged 16 to 30 participated, including 514 from Cyprus. 

At the EU level, 40% of respondents identified rising prices and the cost of living as their main concern. Meanwhile, 33% believe the EU should focus on environmental and climate change policies over the next five years, while 31% highlighted economic growth and job creation as key priorities.

Other notable priorities at the EU level include:

• Social protection, welfare, and healthcare (29%)

• Education and training (27%)

• Housing affordability (23%)

• EU defense and security (21%), with particular concern among young people in Czechia (36%), Poland (33%), and Estonia (32%).

In Cyprus, the top priority for young people is social protection, welfare, and healthcare (37%), followed by concerns over rising prices, the cost of living, and job creation (31%), and climate change and the environment.

Regarding their main sources of political and social news, young people in the EU overwhelmingly rely on social media (42%), surpassing television (39%). The preference for television is more pronounced among those aged 25 to 30, who are also more likely to turn to online news platforms and radio. In contrast, younger respondents aged 16 to 18 rely more on social media (45%) and trust information from friends, family, or colleagues (29%, compared to 23% of older respondents).

Television remains the top news source for young people in Portugal (53%), Italy (52%), Slovenia (45%), and France (43%). Meanwhile, online press, news platforms, and radio serve as sources for 26% of younger respondents and 16% of older ones. In the 2021 edition of the survey, social media and news websites were equally dominant at 41% each.

In Cyprus, social media is the leading news source for young people (44%), followed by video platforms such as YouTube (31%), and television (27%). Only 8% of young Cypriots rely on radio for information.

When it comes to social media platforms, Instagram is the most popular news source for young people in the EU (47%), followed by TikTok (39%). X (formerly Twitter) is used by only 21% of young Europeans.

In Cyprus, however, Facebook remains the primary platform for news (52%), followed by YouTube (43%) and Instagram (31%). X is used by only 20% of young Cypriots.