Cyprus places 14th overall, scoring 85.73, in the Global Retirement Report 2025 published by Global Citizen Solutions.
Within the six sub-indexes, Cyprus performs unevenly:
- Procedure: 33rd
- Citizenship & Mobility: 13th
- Tax Optimization: 2nd
- Economics: 27th
- Quality of Life: 21st
This pattern shows Cyprus is particularly strong in tax optimisation, while it lags in procedural ease and economic factors relative to other countries in the report.
Methodology: how countries are scored
The Global Retirement Report 2025 evaluates 44 countries offering passive income or retirement visa programmes.
The ranking is based on 20 distinct indicators, grouped into six sub-indexes: Procedure; Citizenship & Mobility; Economics; Tax Optimization; Quality of Life; and Safety & Integration.
These six sub-indexes are weighted and combined into an overall index, ensuring that no single dimension overly dominates the final score.
For the Safety & Integration sub-index, the report draws on external metrics such as the Global Peace Index (for security), the Gallup Migrant Acceptance Index, and the EF English Proficiency Index.
Top global retirement destinations
At the top of the 2025 ranking are Portugal, Mauritius and Spain, followed by Uruguay and Austria.
The report notes that over 36 % of retirement visa programmes are located in the Americas, while nearly 32 % are in Europe.
More than 70 % of programmes achieve above-average scores in healthcare, environmental quality, and wellbeing.
Approximately 93 % of countries reviewed provide clear pathways to citizenship, and many permit dual citizenship.
Around 61 % of countries offer specifically structured tax benefits for retirees, such as exemptions on foreign pensions.
Trends and European dominance
The report frames retirement migration as increasingly mainstream, driven by rising life expectancy and improved mobility infrastructure.
European nations generally rank well due to strong healthcare, environmental standards, safety and integration mechanisms.
Southern Europe, in particular, gains favour through retiree-friendly tax regimes and appealing climates. Dr. Laura Madrid was quoted saying in the report: “With 32 % of global retirement visa options, Europe leads on healthcare, safety, and integration, while southern hubs like Portugal, Spain, and Greece add mild climates, manageable costs, and retiree-friendly passive income visas.”
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