Philenews

Cyprus and the EU: Matching Education and Employment

Published February 18, 2026, 14:13
Cyprus and the EU: Matching Education and Employment

According to Eurostat data for 2024, Cyprus ranks relatively well in matching education and employment for young people aged 15-34, with a rate of 56.8%. This means that more than half of young people in Cyprus believe there is a high or very high relevance between their field of study and their current or last job. At the EU level, the corresponding rate is 56.4%, with significant differences depending on the level of education: 46.1% for medium level and 68.1% for high level. Eurostat clarifies that the assessment is based on self-assessment and records the degree of matching between the field of education and employment. The sectors with the highest matching at the EU level are health and social care (80.6%), information and communication technologies (77.0%) and education (73.6%). Conversely, low or zero matching is recorded in arts and humanities (52.2%), social sciences, journalism and information (59.1%) and services (59.3%). This suggests that graduates of these fields face greater difficulties in finding employment directly related to their studies. At the national level, Latvia (76.5%), Lithuania (76.1%) and Germany (75.2%) show the highest matching rates, while Italy (41.6%), Slovakia (46.2%) and Denmark (47.1%) the lowest, indicating greater challenges for young people in these countries.