Cypriots split down the middle over future predictions

THE GLASS is neither half-empty or half-full, according to a new poll measuring Cypriots’ predictions for the future. Answering the question on how they saw their lives in 2028, half of all Cypriots said they though life would be better, with the other half predicting a downturn.

In a recent Eurobarometer, citizens were asked how they feel life would be in 20 years. Concerning working lives, 70 per cent of Cypriots expect that peoples working lives would be extended in the future. Just over 70 per cent of Cypriots agree that young people’s chances in life will depend much more on their own efforts and less on their family and social background than it does today.

Along with Cypriots, Ireland, Spain, Denmark and Malta expect that access to education would be easier in 20 years Only 20 per cent of Cypriots disagree with this expectation.

A big issue that many of us face in our daily lives is the cost of living. A majority of member states expects a worsening of this situation. Almost 90 per cent of Cypriots expect it will be harder to find affordable housing in the future then it is today.

The roles of women and men have changed over the years. Today men have started to help around the house, while woman are more in the work field. Cypriot respondents expect that in 20 years, men will take more equal share of the daily tasks at home.

Cyprus holds the highest percentage (83%) who expect that family ties will be weaker in the future.

Only half of the Cypriots that took part agree that everyone should pay higher taxes in the future, for better public services, an improved infrastructure and support for people in need.

Cyprus (with 94 per cent) was almost undivided in agreeing that there will be stricter rules in 20 years, to ensure that people’s lifestyles’ will be more respectful of the environment.

In the future it is expected that the elderly will be cared for by the society rather than the individual family. Both Cyprus (with 89 per cent) and Greece (with 88 per cent) were the most likely to agree with policies that increased the role of society as a whole in caring for the sick and elderly.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.