Istanbul’s population more than 75 countries despite slight decline

ISTANBUL

The population of Turkey’s biggest city of Istanbul is more than those of 75 countries in the world, despite a downward trend in population observed in the last year, according to the latest data released by the country’s Interior Ministry.

Istanbul was home to nearly 600,000 fewer people than in 2020, when the population was 14.8 million, as per the population map prepared based on the ministry’s Address Registration System.

But the metropolis is still more crowded than 75 countries, including Belgium (11.5 million people), Greece (10.4 million people), Austria (9 million people) and Switzerland (8.6 million people).

Though the report did not specify the cause for the decline in Istanbul’s population, it is believed that this drop is related to the pandemic which caused population flow from crowded urban centers to rural areas.

The capital Ankara with 5.45 million residents, İzmir with 4.30 million residents, Bursa with 3.06 million residents, and Antalya with 2.44 million residents followed Istanbul in the list.

According to the ministry, With its 78,324 residents, the northeastern province of Bayburt was the least  populated province in the country. The other least populated provinces are Tunceli (88,534), Ardahan (94,586) and Kilis (138,632).

Top baby names in 2021

The most popular name given to a baby girl in Turkey was “Zeynep” in the first six months of 2021, while the most popular baby boy name was “Yusuf,” according to the data.

A total of 507,909 babies were born in Turkey in the first half of the year, with 51 percent males and the rest females.

While the name “Zeynep” ranked as the most popular girls’ name in 2021, the next in line was the name “Elif,” followed by the name “Asya.”

The name “Yusuf,” which is a Turkish version of the name “Joseph,” was followed by the boy names “Miraç” and “Alparslan” in 2021