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Turkey’s Population Hits 86.1 Million in 2025

Turkey’s population rose to 86.1 million in 2025, according to TÜİK data, with the annual growth rate accelerating to 5 per thousand and major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir continuing to dominate population figures.

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3 months ago

10/02/2026

Harun Yazıcı

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The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has released the results of the 2025 Address-Based Population Registration System (ADNKS), revealing that Turkey’s population increased by 427,224 people compared to the previous year, reaching 86,092,168 as of the end of 2025. The data also showed a notable rise in the annual population growth rate.

Population Growth Rate Accelerates

According to TÜİK, Turkey’s annual population growth rate rose to 5 per thousand in 2025, up from 3.4 per thousand in 2024. The figures indicate a renewed acceleration in population growth nationwide.

Men Slightly Outnumber Women

The latest data shows a nearly balanced gender distribution across the country:

50.02% of the population are men (43,059,434 people),
49.98% are women (43,032,734 people).

The difference between male and female populations remained marginal.

Foreign Resident Population Exceeds 1.5 Million

Turkey’s foreign resident population also increased in 2025. TÜİK reported that the number of foreign nationals living in the country rose by 38,968, reaching 1,519,515. This figure highlights a stable but limited share of foreign residents within Turkey’s overall population.

Istanbul Remains Turkey’s Most Populous City

Istanbul continued to be Turkey’s most populous province, with a population of 15,754,053, accounting for approximately 18.3% of the country’s total population.

The capital Ankara ranked second, with a population of 5,910,320, according to TÜİK data.

Meanwhile, Izmir, the largest city in the Aegean region, saw its population rise to 4,504,185 in 2025, marking an increase compared to the previous year.

Urbanization Rate Surpasses 93 Percent

The ADNKS results also highlighted Turkey’s ongoing urbanization trend. The share of people living in provincial and district centers reached 93.6%, while the proportion of those residing in towns and villages continued to decline. The data confirms that urban living is becoming increasingly dominant across the country.

Key Demographic Trends

Experts note that the rise in population growth has been driven by a combination of birth rates, internal and external migration, and changes in life expectancy. Increasing urbanization and migration toward major metropolitan areas remain key factors shaping Turkey’s demographic structure.

Source: The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK)