Türkiye’s Population Reaches 86.1 Million in 2025, Growth Rate Accelerates

2026-02-09 - 09:35

Türkiye’s population has surpassed 86 million people, according to the latest official data released on Monday. The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced that the country’s population grew by over 427,000 in 2025, reaching a total of 86.09 million residents. Demographic Composition and Urban Shift The statistical breakdown shows a nearly equal gender distribution, with men comprising 50.02% and women 49.98% of the total. A key trend highlighted by the institute is the continuing movement toward urban centers. The proportion of people living in province and district centers increased to 93.6% in 2025, indicating a steady decline in rural population figures. Major Cities and Regional Hubs Istanbul, the nation’s commercial heart, solidified its position as the largest city with a population of 15.75 million. It was followed by the capital Ankara, home to 5.9 million citizens. Other major population centers include the Aegean metropolis of Izmir with 4.5 million, the industrial city of Bursa with 3.26 million, and the Mediterranean tourism destination of Antalya, which has 2.77 million inhabitants. Age Structure and Dependency Ratio The new data also points to an aging societal structure. The median age in Türkiye rose to 34.9 years in 2025, up from 34.4 the previous year. Concurrently, the total age dependency ratio, measuring the number of young and elderly dependents per working-age individual, saw a slight decrease to 46%. The annual population growth rate showed a notable increase, rising to 5 per thousand in 2025 from 3.4 per thousand in 2024.