82.7 pct of Türkiye’s population resides in urban areas

ANKARA

Some 82.7 percent of Türkiye’s population live in urban areas, divided into densely populated and intermediate-density regions, reveals the 2022 urban and rural population data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

Applying a new classification for urban and rural areas, TÜİK divided the urban areas into two categories — densely populated regions and the areas with intermediate density.

Densely populated areas are defined as localities that have at least 50 percent of their population living in urban center grids. Intermediate-density areas are localities that do not meet the criteria of densely populated and rural areas. Thinly populated areas are localities having more than 50 percent of their population living in rural grid cells.

Accordingly, some 67.9 percent of the country’s population reside in localities classified as densely populated areas.

The city hosting the highest number of people in densely populated areas is Istanbul, making up 96.4 percent.

The capital Ankara and the western province of İzmir follow Istanbul, respectively.

When analyzed by sex, 49.7 percent of the population residing in the localities classified as densely populated were males, and 50.3 percent of them were females.

The rate of people residing in the regions with intermediate density is 14.8 percent, while the northeastern province of Artvin has the highest proportion of the population living in intermediate-density areas.

On the other hand, 17.3 of the population live in rural areas, also mentioned as thinly populated areas.

The province with the highest proportion of the population residing in the localities classified as thinly populated is the northeastern province of Ardahan, constituting 68.4 percent.

The city was followed by the eastern province of Tunceli and the northern province of Bartın.