Serbs in Cyprus

Serbs in Cyprus

Σέρβοι στην Κύπρο Срби на Кипру Srbi na Kipru
Total population
1,009 (2011)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Larnaca, Limasol
Languages
Serbian and Greek
Religion
Eastern Orthodoxy
Related ethnic groups
Serbs in Greece

Serbs in Cyrpus are Cypriot citizens of ethnic Serb descent and/or Serbia-born persons living in Cyprus. According to data from the 2011 census, there were 1,009 Serbia-born people living in Cyprus.^[2] The Serb diaspora in Cyprus is a small expatriate community, with roots tracing to post-Yugoslav migration waves in the 1990s and 2000s.

History

The presence of Serbs in Cyprus is relatively modest and tied closely to the broader diplomatic and cultural history between Serbia (and its predecessor Yugoslavia) and Cyprus. Formal relations date back to 1960, when Cyprus established diplomatic ties with the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia shortly after gaining independence. These relations continued seamlessly through the dissolution of Yugoslavia, with Serbia recognized as the legal successor state. A key pillar of this bond has been shared Orthodox Christian heritage, fostering cultural exchanges and mutual support during crisis caused by the breakup of Yugoslavia. For instance, the Church of Cyprus provided humanitarian aid to Serbia during the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s.^[3]

Serbs began moving to Cyprus in the early 1990s, attracted by the island’s relative prosperity and stability at a time when the former Yugoslavia was collapsing. They nowadays form a tight-knit expatriate group engaged in diverse professions, mainly in tourism and finance.^[4]

Notable people

• Milan Trajković – track and field athlete

See also

• Immigration to Cyprus
• Serb diaspora
• Cyprus–Serbia relations

References

1. "Key Figures – Population and Social Statistics". Cystat.gov.cy. Statistical Service of Cyprus. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
2. "Key Figures – Population and Social Statistics". Cystat.gov.cy. Statistical Service of Cyprus. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
3. https://www.pupin.org/analysis/engaging-cyprus-s-eu-council-presidency-2026
4. https://www.internations.org/cyprus-expats/serbs