Demographics of Turkey

Demographics of Turkey
Population 86,092,168 (31 December 2025)
Density 112/km2 (290/sq mi) (2025)
Growth rate 0.50% (2025)
Birth rate 11.0 births/1,000 population (2024)
Death rate 5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024)
Life expectancy 78.1 years (2024)
 • male 75.5 years
 • female 80.7 years
Fertility rate 1.48 children born/woman (2024)
Infant mortality rate 9.0 deaths/1,000 live births (2024)
Net migration rate −3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023)
Age structure
0–14 years 20.4% (male 8,992,538/female 8,538,185)
15–64 years 68.5% (male 29,781,806/female 29,196,580)
65 and over 11.1% (male 4,285,090/female 5,297,969) (2025)
Sex ratio
Total1.01 male(s)/female (2025 est.)
At birth1.05 male(s)/female
Under 151.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years1.03 male(s)/female
65 and over0.83 male(s)/female
Nationality
NationalityTurkish citizen
Major ethnicTurkish (70–75%)
Minor ethnic
Language
OfficialTurkish (87.6%)
Spoken

Demographic features of the population of Turkey include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Its estimated population was 86,092,168, of which 1,519,515 were foreign residents as of 31 December 2025, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. This official population number excludes the registered Syrian refugees under temporary protection status which have a population of about 2.31 million as of 19 February 2026.

Turks are the largest ethnic group, comprising 70–75% of the population while Kurds are the second largest with 19%. The others, including Armenians, Arabs, Assyrians, Albanians, Bulgarians, Bosniaks, Circassians, Chechens, Georgians, Greeks, Pomaks, Rum, Russians, Romani, Jews, Laz people and others make 6–11% of the population according to a 2016 estimate by the CIA.

The population has been aging in recent years, with just 20.4% falling in the 0–14 age bracket (down from 26.4% in 2007). The population over the age of 65 is 11.1% (up from 7.1% in 2007). As of 2025, the median age of the Turkish population is 34.9 years (up from 28.3 in 2007). According to OECD/World Bank population statistics, from 1990 to 2008 the population growth in Turkey was 16 million or 29%.