The coronavirus pandemic has also left its mark on daily crossings in divided Cyprus which reached a total of 1,209,037 last year compared to 780,000 in 2020 but as high as 3,694,958 in 2019.
2019 was the year which recorded the highest number of crossings over the previous past five years, Philenews reported on Tuesday.
The number of Greek Cypriots crossing over to the breakaway north in 2021 was 695,703 compared to 513,335 of Turkish Cypriots who visited the recognized Republic.
Cyprus, divided since a 1974 invasion by Turkey, took a key step toward a return to its routine rhythms of life amid the pandemic in June.
That is when the nine crossing points along a United Nations-controlled buffer zone were reopened after over a year of closure due to the pandemic.
The crossings enable ordinary Greek and Turkish Cypriots to cross the divide.
Most of the crossing points are open to vehicles, but everyone crossing either northward or southward must display a negative Covid-19 test taken in the previous seven days.
Officials had said the openings became possible after a significant drop in confirmed coronavirus cases on both sides.
