In February 2026, the Cyprus real estate market once again demonstrated confident growth. According to the Department of Lands and Surveys, the number of purchase and sale transactions increased by 11% compared with February 2025. This dynamic confirms the stable development of the market that has been observed over the past year.
Statistics show that home buyers on the island are divided into three main categories: citizens of Cyprus, citizens of European Union countries, and buyers from countries outside the EU. Each of these groups plays an important role in shaping demand and influences the development of different regions of the country.
Main segments of the Cyprus real estate market
In February 2026, local buyers held the leading position in the market. They accounted for 866 transactions, which represents 56.3% of the total number of property sales. Citizens of the European Union completed 231 contracts, taking a share of 15%. Buyers from countries outside the EU concluded 430 transactions, which corresponds to 28.6% of the market.
It is interesting that detailed statistics on foreign buyers have been kept only relatively recently. Until 2018, transactions by foreigners were combined into one category called Overseas Sales Contracts. Only starting from 2018 did official statistics begin to separately account for buyers from the EU and from countries outside the European Union. Thanks to this, today it is possible to analyze the structure of demand for real estate in Cyprus more accurately.
Activity of local buyers increased by 6%
Citizens of Cyprus registered 866 property purchase and sale contracts in February 2026. For comparison, in February 2025 this figure amounted to 817 transactions. Thus, the growth was 6%.
At the same time, the dynamics differ noticeably across different regions of the country. In Paphos, 82 transactions were concluded, which is 20% less than a year earlier, when there were 103. In Larnaca, 178 sales were recorded, which is 10% lower than last year's level of 197 transactions.
In other areas, on the contrary, growth was observed. In the free areas of Famagusta, the number of sales reached 42, which is 100% more compared with 21 transactions a year earlier. In Limassol, 295 transactions were registered, which means a 26% increase compared with 235. In Nicosia, 269 sales were completed, which is 3% more than the 261 recorded in February of the previous year.
The most noticeable growth among local buyers was shown by Limassol, while the highest percentage jump occurred in the free areas of Famagusta, which is explained by the relatively small number of transactions in the previous year.
EU buyers increased the number of transactions by 20%
Citizens of the European Union are increasingly purchasing property in Cyprus. In February 2026, they signed 231 purchase and sale contracts. In February 2025, there were 192 such transactions, so the annual growth amounted to 20%.
However, in certain regions the situation was mixed. In the free areas of Famagusta, sales decreased to 10 transactions, which is 55% less compared with 22 a year earlier. In Larnaca, 42 transactions were registered, which is 7% less than the previous year’s figure of 45.
In other areas, demand from Europeans grew noticeably. In Nicosia, 36 transactions were completed, which is 50% more than 24 a year earlier. In Limassol, the number of purchases increased to 51, which is 46% higher than the previous level of 35. Paphos also demonstrated strong growth: 92 transactions compared with 66 a year earlier, which means an increase of 39%.
Paphos remains the most popular destination among buyers from EU countries. There is traditionally high demand here for holiday property, investment apartments, and houses by the sea.
Buyers from countries outside the EU increased activity by 22%
A significant contribution to market growth was made by buyers from countries outside the European Union. In February 2026, they registered 440 property purchase and sale contracts. A year earlier this figure was 362 transactions, so the growth reached 22%.
The only region where a decline was observed was Nicosia. There, the number of transactions decreased to 27, which is 10% lower than last year’s level, when there were 30 sales.
In the remaining areas, the activity of foreign investors increased. In Paphos, 145 transactions were completed, which is 31% more than the 111 recorded a year earlier. In Larnaca, sales reached 121 transactions, increasing by 30% compared with 93. In the free areas of Famagusta, 11 sales were registered compared with 9 a year earlier, which corresponds to growth of 22%. In Limassol, the number of transactions increased to 136, which is 14% more than the 119 recorded a year earlier.
Foreign buyers remain a key driver of the market
Analysis of the data shows that foreign buyers continue to play an important role in the Cyprus real estate market. In some regions their influence is particularly noticeable.
For example, in Paphos, buyers from EU countries and from countries outside the EU together purchased more properties than Cypriots themselves. This once again confirms the status of Paphos as one of the main destinations for international investors and buyers of resort property.
A similar situation is observed in Larnaca. Here, foreign buyers also concluded more transactions in total than local residents. This indicates growing interest in the region from overseas investors, especially against the backdrop of infrastructure development and the expansion of the airport.
Overall, the results of February confirm the resilience of the Cyprus real estate market. Demand remains high from both local residents and foreign buyers, which supports the steady growth in the number of transactions.