Northern Cyprus's first official census was performed in 1996. The population recorded was 200,587. The second census, carried out in 2006, revealed the population of Northern Cyprus to be 265,100, of which majority is composed of indigenous Turkish Cypriots (including refugees from Southern Cyprus) and settlers from Turkey. Of the 178,000 Turkish Cypriot citizens, 82% are native Cypriots (145,000). Of the 45,000 people born to non-Cypriot parentage, nearly 40% (17,000) were born in Cyprus. The figure for non-citizens, including students, guest workers and temporary residents stood at 78,000 people.
The third official census of Northern Cyprus was carried out in 2011, made under the auspices of UN observers. It returned a total population of 294,906. These results were disputed by some political parties, labour unions and local newspapers. The government was accused of deliberately under-counting the population, after apparently giving an estimate of 700,000 before the census, in order to demand financial help from Turkey. One source claims that the population in the north has reached 500,000, split between 50% Turkish Cypriots and 50% Turkish settlers or Cypriot-born children of such settlers. Researcher Mete Hatay has written that such reports are "wildly speculative" and are picked up by opposition parties for political benefit, which resulted in reports in the south. Such reports have never been scientifically or statistically scrutinised, despite opportunities of opposition parties to do so using the electoral rolls in their possession, thereby continuing a "war of numbers".
The Government of Northern Cyprus estimates that the 1983 population of Northern Cyprus was 155,521. An island-wide census in 1960 indicated the number of Turkish Cypriots as 102,000 and Greek Cypriots as 450,000. , the settlers constituted no more than 25% of the electorate in Northern Cyprus.
Northern Cyprus is almost entirely Turkish-speaking. English, however, is widely spoken as a second language.
On 2 August 1975, in the negotiations in Vienna, a population exchange agreement was signed between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots under the auspices of the United Nations. On the basis of the agreement, 196,000 Greek Cypriots living in the north were exchanged for 42,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the south (the numbers was disputed). The Orthodox Greek Cypriots in Rizokarpaso, Agios Andronikos and Agia Triada chose to stay in their villages, as did also Catholic Maronites in Asomatos, Karpasia and Kormakitis.
There are Orthodox Greek Cypriots in Rizokarpaso, Agios Andronikos and Agia Triada in Northern Cyprus. There are 644 Greek Cypriots living in Rizokarpaso (Dipkarpaz). Rizokarpaso is the home of the biggest Greek-speaking population in Northern Cyprus.
There are Catholic Maronites in Asomatos, Karpasia and Kormakitis in Northern Cyprus. There are 364 Maronites in Kormakitis.
The Statistical Institute of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus occasionally perform censuses and periodically declare the projections of the Northern Cyprus census. In 1960 - before the establishment of Northern Cyprus in 1983-, Turkish Cypriots were non-accumulated in the north.