Fresh results from the European Social Survey (ESS) have revealed a worrying trend: Cyprus is among the ten countries in Europe with the highest levels of xenophobia.
The data was published by the University of Cyprus Field Research Center (PAKEPE) in collaboration with the Technical University of Cyprus (TEPAK) as part of the launch of the 12th round of the survey, which will cover the period 2025-2026. A total of 31 countries participated in the previous round of research, and experts note that the level of negative attitudes towards migrants in Cyprus has increased compared to previous years.
The ESS survey, which won the Descartes Prize in 2005, also found a steady decline in trust in public institutions since 2006. Trust in political parties and politicians was particularly low, although researchers note a slight improvement in recent months, possibly due to the emergence of new political forces on the island. At the same time, international organizations such as the European Parliament and the UN inspire much more confidence among Cypriots than local authorities.
According to researchers, in Cyprus there is a dangerous gap between the proclaimed democratic values and how citizens assess the functioning of democracy in practice. Despite the high level of support for democratic principles, people are still extremely dissatisfied with their actual implementation. This confirms the growing sense of social tension, especially on issues of migration and international relations.
The collection of new data started on November 10, 2025. Invitations to participate go to randomly selected households throughout the country. In each selected home, the person with the closest date of birth is invited to participate, ensuring that the sample distribution is as accurate and representative as possible. The new round of research will again cover important social topics: the functioning of democracy, trust in institutions, sentiment towards the EU, labor relations, migration and political behavior. In addition, additional issues related to the Cyprus conflict and inter-community interactions will be included for Cyprus.
Representatives of research centers emphasize: the higher the participation of the population, the more accurate and useful the results will be. The first findings from the new round are expected to be published early next year.
Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
