The population of Istanbul increased steadily from 2007 to 2022. During this period, the population of Istanbul went up by over three million people, rising from 12.6 million people in 2007 to 15.9 million in 2022.

Istanbul by far the most crowded city

Turkey has a dynamic population that increases every year. Even though the population growth rate has decreased in recent years, it has always shown positive values. With a population reaching 16 million, the most crowded Turkish city, Istanbul has more inhabitants than many European countries such as Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, and Belgium. Additionally, Ankara was the second most settled city in the country. The capital city of Turkey had a population of almost one-third of Istanbul’s, totaling 5.8 million. Turkish women live longer than men

In Turkey, the population has been tracked digitally by the Address Based Population Registration System (ABPRS) every year. The total population hit over 85 million as of 2023, of whom above 42.6 million were women. Considering the gender distribution, 50.05 percent of the country’s residents consisted of men. Interestingly, the share of women in Turkish society was significantly higher than men among the older age groups in 2022.

The statistic shows the total population of Turkey from 2019 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. In 2023, the total population of Turkey amounted to about 86.27 million people.

Population of Turkey

Although total population increased on a yearly basis from 2004 to 2014, population growth has slowly decreased annually as of 2011, despite remaining positive. However, in 2012, population growth increased, compared to the previous year for the first time in over a decade. The country’s fertility rate, on the other hand, continued to drop annually since 2002. Life expectancy was also rather low, however this value appears to be irrelative to how developed a country actually is, especially when considering the life expectancy of many other advanced countries.

From an economic standpoint, Turkey has been noticeably improving, especially in comparison to 2008. One improved aspect can be found in the country’s employment rate. In 2009, unemployment reached a decade high but dropped dramatically yearly until 2012. However since 2012, the unemployment rate has started to increase again, with this trend continuing into 2014. Turkey’s inflation rate, on the other hand, reached a decade low in 2014 compared to 2013, despite continuous fluctuations since 2008. The country’s GDP has also reached a decade high in 2014, more than doubling its value since 2004, despite a significant plunge in 2009. When analyzing year-over -year trends, GDP has continued to positively grow since 2009, however has slowed down since 2012.

The female population in Turkey in 2022 was roughly 42.64 million, while the men population was slightly higher, with about 42.73 million. The highest share of the women population against men was seen in the age group of 90+, having a 70.2 percent share. In contrast, in the age group of 0–14 years old, the percentage of men was the highest, at 51.3 percent.

Access to electricity (% of population) in Turkey was reported at 100 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Turkey - Access to electricity (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 1800, the region of present-day Turkey had a population of approximately 9.8 million. Turkey’s population would grow steadily throughout the 1800s, growing to 14 million by the turn of the century. During this time, Turkey was the center of the Ottoman Empire, which also covered much of the Balkans, Arabia, and the African coast from Libya to Somalia. In the early 20th century, the Ottoman Empire's dissolution period began, characterized by political instability and a series of military defeats and coups. The empire was one of the defeated Central Powers of the First World War, in which it suffered approximately three million total fatalities. It is estimated that the majority of these deaths did not come directly from the war, but as a result of the government-orchestrated mass expulsion and genocide of non-Turks from within the Turkish borders, specifically Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks and Kurds; many ethnic Turks were simultaneously expelled from neighboring countries, namely Greece, which makes these events less-visible when examining annual data, although Turkey's total population did drop by one million between 1914 and 1924.

The Republic of Turkey Following the end of the Turkish War of Independence in 1923, and the establishment of the republic of Turkey, the population would begin to recover, tripling from just around 21 million in 1950 to over 63 million by the turn of the century. The new republic, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, introduced sweeping, progressive reforms that modernized the country, particularly its healthcare and education systems. Turkey remained neutral throughout the Second World War, and became a member of NATO during the Cold War. The second half of the 1900s was marked with intermittent periods of political instability, and a number of military conflicts (namely, in Cyprus and Kurdistan). In spite of this, Turkey has generally been considered a developed country for most of this time, although its life expectancy and infant mortality rates have often been more in line with developing nations.

Modern Turkey In the past decade, Turkey's population growth has continued its rapid growth; while birth rates have declined, the mass migration of refugees to the country fleeing the Syrian Civil War has seen the population growth ramain high. This influx of refugees was seen as a stepping stone in Turkey's accession to the European Union, with whom it has been negotiating a potential membership since 2005. Accession to the EU would provide huge economic benefits to Turkey, however, political developments in recent years (particularly the 2016 coup) have seen these negotiations stall, as the EU has accused the Turkish government of committing widespread human rights violations, such as torture, political imprisonment and censorship of free speech. In 2020, Turkey's population is estimated to be over 84 million people, and is expected to exceed 100 million in the next two decades.

Key information about Turkey Household Income per Capita

• Turkey Annual Household Income per Capita reached 2,382.158 USD in Dec 2023, compared with the previous value of 1,847.728 USD in Dec 2022.
• Turkey Annual Household Income per Capita data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2007 to Dec 2023, with an averaged value of 3,670.941 USD.
• The data reached an all-time high of 4,134.509 USD in Dec 2013 and a record low of 1,847.728 USD in Dec 2022.
• In the latest reports, Retail Sales of Turkey grew 11.219 % YoY in Dec 2023.

CEIC calculates Annual Household Income per Capita from annual Household Income, Population and Number of Households and converts it into USD. Turkish Statistical Institute provides Household Income in local currency, Population and Number of Households. The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Household Income covers Household Disposable Income only.

The population of Turkey from constantly increased 2010 to 2023 for both genders. The country's total population hit approximately 85.37 million in 2023. Additionally, each gender reached a population of over 42 million in the same year.

In 2024, Russia had the largest population among European countries at 144.8 million people. The next largest countries in terms of their population size were Turkey at 87.5 million, Germany at 84.5 million, the United Kingdom at 69.1 million, and France at 66.5 million. Europe is also home to some of the world’s smallest countries, such as the microstates of Liechtenstein and San Marino, with populations of 39,870 and 33,581 respectively. Europe’s largest economies Germany was Europe’s largest economy in 2023, with a Gross Domestic Product of around 4.2 trillion Euros, while the UK and France are the second and third largest economies, at 3.2 trillion and 2.8 trillion euros respectively. Prior to the mid-2000s, Europe’s fourth-largest economy, Italy, had an economy that was of a similar sized to France and the UK, before diverging growth patterns saw the UK and France become far larger economies than Italy. Moscow and Istanbul the megacities of Europe Two cities on the eastern borders of Europe were Europe’s largest in 2023. The Turkish city of Istanbul, with a population of 15.8 million, and the Russian capital, Moscow, with a population of 12.7 million. Istanbul is arguably the world’s most famous transcontinental city with territory in both Europe and Asia and has been an important center for commerce and culture for over two thousand years. Paris was the third largest European city with a population of 11 million, with London being the fourth largest at 9.6 million.

When the share of individuals who used the internet for social networking in Turkey from 2013 to 2022, observed by age group, individuals aged between 16 and 24 stood out, reaching nearly 89 percent. Internet usage for social networking in Turkey has increased significantly in all of the age groups in 2022 compared to the previous year.

Key information about Turkey Unemployment Rate

• Turkey Unemployment Rate dropped to 8.40% in Jan 2025, from the previously reported figure of 8.50% in Dec 2024.
• Turkey Unemployment Rate is updated monthly, available from Jan 2005 to Jan 2025, with an average rate of 10.10%.
• The data reached an all-time high of 14.10% in Jul 2020 and a record low of 8.00% in Jul 2012.
• The data is reported by reported by Turkish Statistical Institute.
• In the latest reports, Turkey Population reached 85.66 million people in Dec 2024.

Employment Rate in Turkey decreased to 49.60 percent in November from 49.80 percent in October of 2024. This dataset provides - Turkey Employment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2024, the number of international tourists visiting Istanbul peaked at 18.6 million. The number of foreign tourists arriving in Istanbul reached the second-highest value in 2019, at almost 15 million. Due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul fell dramatically in 2020, decreasing by a third compared to the previous year. Air travel in İstanbul After four years of construction, Istanbul Airport officially opened on October 29th, 2018, having replaced the Atatürk Airport from 2019 onwards. The airport also serves as the hub for Turkish Airlines. In 2023, Istanbul Airport saw approximately 76 million passengers pass through, which made it the second-busiest airport in Europe that year. The first place was taken by Heathrow Airport, located in London. In the same year, the second-busiest airport in the city, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, counted over 37 million air travelers, of which almost half were domestic passengers. Most visited museums Considered as the economic, cultural, and historic capital, İstanbul offers numerous cultural activities for visitors. Hence, the largest city recorded the highest number of museums among all provinces in Turkey, with 86 public and private museums in 2022. That year, the Galata Tower became the most visited museum in İstanbul, welcoming over one million visitors. Built as a watch tower in the Byzantine period for the first time in the 13th century, the Galata Tower has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List since 2013.

As of April 21, 2022, the Turkish city with the highest Syrian refugee population was Istanbul, with over half a million. Gaziantep, Hatay, and Şanlıurfa were the cities hosting over 400 thousand Syrian refugees. Additionally, the city with the highest rate of Syrians compared to the local population was Kilis, with 42.4 percent.

The crude birth rate in Turkey saw no significant changes in 2022 in comparison to the previous year 2021 and remained at around 14.47 live births per 1,000 inhabitants. But still, the rate reached its lowest value of the observation period in 2022. The crude birth rate refers to the number of live births in a given year, expressed per 1,000 population. When studied in combination with the crude death rate, the rate of natural population increase can be determined.Find more statistics on other topics about Turkey with key insights such as infant mortality rate, total fertility rate, and death rate.

In October 2024, the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Istanbul reached approximately 1.7 million. The total number of arrivals added up to 15.8 million from January to October 2024. Due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of foreign tourists arriving in Istanbul plunged significantly, especially in April and May 2020, having below one thousand visitors. In 2022, the number of foreign tourist arrivals began to increase again, peaking in July 2024 at over 1.9 million.

The death rate in Turkey declined to 5.1 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022. This decrease was preceded by an increase in death rate.The crude death rate is the annual number of deaths divided by the total population, expressed per 1,000 people.Find more statistics on other topics about Turkey with key insights such as total life expectancy at birth, total fertility rate, and infant mortality rate.

This statistic shows the ten biggest cities in Turkey in 2021. At the end of 2021, approximately 15.2 million people lived in Istanbul, making it the biggest city in Turkey.

The urban population of Turkey

The total population of Turkey is on its way to reaching 80 million inhabitants, which is about the same amouint as the population of Germany. Slightly more than half of the Turkish population live in urban areas, with Istanbul being home to the largest portion of this urban population with close to 14 million inhabitants. This is about 20 percent of the entire population.

Istanbul is located at the entrance to the Black Sea, between Europe and Asia. It is attractive to both the people of Turkey as a place to live and work and foreign tourists who take advantage of its cultural and historic center. Due to its attractiveness and its location at the crossroads of the east and the west, the city has been investing in transportation infrastructure to support its strategic location and increasing growth.

Ankara, the capital of Turkey, is the second largest city and home to about 4.5 million people. Izmir is the third largest, with almost 3 million inhabitants. A vast amount of the country’s population is located in these three metropolises.

The estimated number of cats owned by households in Turkey constantly increased in the observed years from 2012 to 2023. The cat population in Turkey peaked at over 4.7 million in 2023.

In 2023, the share of urban population in Turkey remained nearly unchanged at around 77.46 percent. Nevertheless, 2023 still represents a peak in the share in Turkey with 77.46 percent. A country's urbanization rate refers to the share of the total population living in an urban setting. International comparisons of urbanization rates may be inconsistent, due to discrepancies between definitions of what constitutes an urban center (based on population size, area, or space between dwellings, among others).Find more key insights for the share of urban population in countries like North Macedonia and Montenegro.

The estimated number of pet dogs in Turkey showed a constant increase over the observed years except for 2022. In 2023, the dog population in Turkey amounted to over 1.4 million.