Cyprus snapshot: GDP, property prices, sales contracts and tourism (October 2026)
Cypriot GDP grew 3.3% y/y in Q2 2026 and residential prices rose 8.5% y/y, with sales contracts up on 2025 while tourist arrivals fell.
Dashboard#
| Indicator | Latest | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP, seasonally adjusted (y/y) | +3.3% (q/q +0.8%) | Q2 2026 (flash) | CYSTAT, 14 Aug 2026 |
| Residential Property Price Index (y/y) | +8.5% (index 109.7, 2010Q1 = 100) | Q2 2026 | Central Bank of Cyprus (PDF) |
| Apartments / houses (y/y) | +8.9% / +5.8% | Q2 2026 | Central Bank of Cyprus |
| Sales contracts deposited (y/y) | +15.4% | Q2 2026 | DLS data cited by the CBC |
| Construction materials price index (y/y) | +3.39% | Aug 2026 | CYSTAT |
| Tourist arrivals (y/y) | −7.0% | Jan–Aug 2026 | CYSTAT (PDF) |
Growth#
CYSTAT's flash estimate puts real, seasonally adjusted GDP 3.3% higher in Q2 2026 than a year earlier, and 0.8% higher than in Q1. CYSTAT attributes the growth mainly to four sectors: wholesale and retail trade, information and communication, financial and insurance activities, and construction.
The recent quarterly sequence of annual growth rates, as published by CYSTAT:
- Q2 2025: 3.7%
- Q3 2025: 3.5%
- Q4 2025: 4.2%
- Q1 2026: 3.0%
- Q2 2026: 3.3%
Flash estimates use less input data than the regular quarterly accounts and can be revised.
Residential property prices#
The Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) RPPI report for Q2 2026 shows:
- Overall index: 109.7 (2010Q1 = 100), up 2.4% on the quarter and 8.5% on the year. The annual rate has risen each quarter from 4.7% in Q2 2025.
- Houses: up 5.8% year-on-year, an acceleration.
- Apartments: up 8.9% year-on-year, a slower rate than Q1 2026's 10.8%.
- The CBC's explanation: continued strong demand, mainly from foreign buyers and to a lesser extent local buyers, together with rising construction costs.
- Supply side: the CBC notes a significant increase in building permits in January–May 2026 compared with a year earlier.
Transactions#
The CBC report cites Department of Lands and Surveys (DLS) data showing sales contracts up 15.4% year-on-year in Q2 2026.
For monthly data, an analysis of DLS figures by the property portal BuySell, published by Cyprus Mail, reports:
- September 2026: 1,681 contracts, against 1,484 in September 2025.
- January–September 2026: 14,969 contracts, about 14% higher than a year earlier.
- Foreign buyers: 41.9% of contracts over the nine months.
BuySell is a commercial platform. Check the figures against the DLS's own contracts of sale statistics before citing them.
Construction#
CYSTAT's construction materials price index stood at 123.09 in August 2026, up 3.39% year-on-year. In Q2 2026, construction output rose 1.1% and construction producer prices rose 4.9%. Building permits rose 18.3% in June 2026. See our construction cost note for the comparison with Greece.
Tourism#
Tourist arrivals were 581,880 in August 2026 (−3.3% year-on-year) and 2,820,649 in January–August (−7.0%). The UK (30.5%) and Israel (23.3%) were the largest source markets in August. More in hospitality signals.
Note on scope#
Cyprus changed its tax rules from 1 January 2026, and residency-by-investment criteria also apply. See the tax overview and the residency-by-investment note. This snapshot reports data, not projections.