Reported serious crimes in Cyprus rose in 2024, with police recording 5,942 cases compared with 5,653 the previous year, the country’s Statistical Service said Thursday.
Authorities said 5,900 of the cases were confirmed as genuine, up from 5,630 in 2023. The crime rate stood at 605 incidents per 100,000 residents, compared with 588 in 2023 and 568 in 2022. Property crimes remained the largest category, accounting for nearly one‑third of cases.
Police data showed 6,651 victims in 2024, including 5,128 individuals and 1,523 legal entities. Offenders totaled 7,470, of whom 11% were women. Juvenile crime also increased, with 774 minors involved in offenses, up from 602 in 2023.
Court statistics indicated fewer prosecutions and convictions. Some 62,066 people were brought to trial in 2024, down 12.5% from the previous year, while convictions fell to 32,683 from 38,168. Traffic violations dominated convictions, and fines remained the most common penalty.
Prison figures showed 995 inmates as of Sept. 1, 2024, slightly down from 1,001 a year earlier. Admissions of convicted prisoners dropped to 917 from 1,027. The median sentence length was 10.6 months, but actual time served averaged less than five months due to pardons.
Officials noted that most new inmates had no prior prison record, though 38% of repeat offenders returned within a year of release.
