Türkiye’s population may drop below 50 mln: Expert

ANKARA

Türkiye’s population might fall below 50 million in the 2100s due to the slow population growth and fertility rate in the country, according to a population projection primed by an expert.

Professor Dr. Mehmet Ali Eryurt from Hacettepe University highlighted that Türkiye’s population is expected to rise to 88 million by the 2040s, go down to 70 million by the 2070s, and further drop to 50 million by the 2100s, according to his population projection data.

Noting that there are various reasons preparing the ground for such a decline in population, the expert made evaluations on the country’s future in terms of population growth rate to the local media.

“We witnessed the slowest rate of population increase in the Turkish Republic's history during its 100th anniversary. The most recent birth statistics show that the average number of children a woman can have throughout her fertile phase is 1.51,” he said, noting that in fact, birth rates have been steadily declining since 2014.

“There have been ongoing expectations for the country’s population to reach 100 million. According to the results of the population project, it is not even possible to see 90 million,” he further stated.

The expert emphasized the need to establish chances and circumstances that allow couples to have as many children as they choose in order to get to the root of the slow population growth problem.

Underlining that couples may have challenges in having children because of the difficulties in balancing work and family obligations, the expert drew attention to the implementation of necessary policies that would guarantee harmony and balance between job and family life.

Eryurt underscored that relieving women of part of the caregiving burden is the most significant and long-lasting policy in this sense.

He added that encouraging more people to use nurseries, improving their quality and having the government mostly pay for these services, along with extending the duration of maternity leave, are all crucial policies.