Türkiye's population hits 85.37 mln, growth at 15-year low

ANKARA

Türkiye's population witnessed a modest increase of 92,824 individuals to reach 85.37 million in 2023, with the growth rate marking its lowest point in 15 years, according to data released by state statistics agency TÜİK.

The male population slightly outweighed the female population, with 42.73 million men compared to 42.63 million women, making up 50.1 percent and 49.9 percent of the total, respectively.

Furthermore, the number of foreign residents in Türkiye experienced a decline, dropping by 253,293 individuals compared to the previous year, totaling 1.57 million. Among this demographic, women slightly outnumbered men, constituting 51.4 percent of the foreign population.

The annual population growth rate plummeted from 7.1 per thousand in 2022 to a mere 1.1 per thousand in 2023, marking the lowest rate seen in the past 15 years.

Meanwhile, 93 percent of the population resided in provincial and district centers in 2023, a slight increase was noted in the proportion of individuals living in towns and villages, rising from 6.6 percent to 7 percent.

Istanbul, for its part, experienced a decrease in population by 252,027 individuals compared to the previous year, now totaling 15.65 million people. Following Istanbul were the capital Ankara with 5.8 million inhabitants, İzmir with 4.47 million, Bursa with 3.21 million and Antalya with 2.69 million.

Conversely, smaller provinces such as Bayburt, Tunceli, Ardahan, Gümüşhane and Kilis recorded the lowest population figures in the country, highlighting regional demographic variations.

The analysis of Türkiye's population pyramids for 2007 and 2023 revealed an aging population. The median age rose from 33.5 in 2022 to 34 in 2023, with variations observed across genders and provinces.

Sinop emerged with the highest median age at 42.8, trailed by Giresun and Kastamonu. In contrast, Şanlıurfa boasted the lowest median age at 21.2, followed by Şırnak and Ağrı.