The Turkish Cypriot press has again reported new population data released by the “statistics office” showing the population in the north reaching 489,308 in 2024, alongside a decline in births.
According to the figures, the population stood at 420,556 in 2019, 419,810 in 2020, 448,268 in 2021, 462,747 in 2022 and 476,214 in 2023.
In 2024, authorities recorded 3,382 births and 1,745 deaths. Of the 489,308 residents reported, 264,887 were men and 224,421 women.
The largest increases were seen in the 20–24 age group (76,022 people), followed by the 15–19 (43,777) and 40–44 (43,073) cohorts.
A Long‑Running Point of Contention
Population figures in the north have been a persistent source of political dispute, with parties, organisations and unofficial groups frequently citing different numbers.
Central to the controversy is the number of voters and the long‑standing allegations of irregularly granted “citizenships” to settlers from Turkey.
Among Turkish Cypriots, the issue of naturalisations has been a defining political fault line, tied to concerns over demographic change and its impact on the community’s social and political structure.
Last July, members of the Turkish Cypriot movement “Peace and Solidarity in Cyprus” delivered a six‑point letter to President Nikos Christodoulides, urging him to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court against Turkey for what they described as the systematic transfer of population to the occupied areas.
They also called on the United Nations to conduct an independent census in the north.