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The percentage of people in Turkey who describe themselves as being happy dropped to 49.6 percent in 2024 from 52.7 percent last year, as the rising cost of living remained the biggest concern in the country, according to new data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
A survey showed the rate of unhappiness increased to 14.5 percent from 13.7 percent, while 35.9 percent of respondents reported feeling neither happy nor unhappy.
The cost of living emerged as the top national concern at 29.2 percent, followed by education at 15.7 percent and poverty at 14 percent.
The survey, conducted annually since 2003, measures public satisfaction with various aspects of life, including government services. This year’s poll was carried out in November 2024.
Only young adults aged 25 to 34 saw a slight increase in happiness, rising to 51 percent from 50.7 percent. The sharpest decline came among those aged 45 to 54, dropping to 46.5 percent from 53.6 percent. Happiness rates fell to 47.5 percent for those aged 55 to 64 and to 54.1 percent from 56 percent for those 65 and older.
Men reported a steeper decline in happiness than women, with male rates falling to 46.9 percent from 50.3 percent, while female rates dropped to 52.3 percent from 55.1 percent.
Married people were generally happier, with 52.5 percent reporting happiness compared to 44 percent of unmarried individuals. Among married couples, women showed higher satisfaction at 55.4 percent compared to 49.5 percent for men.
The survey also asked respondents to rate their contentment on a scale of 0, meaning not satisfied at all, to 10, indicating the highest satisfaction. The nationwide average held steady at 5.7 in 2024, unchanged from 2023. Men’s satisfaction increased slightly to 5.7 from 5.6, while women’s dropped to 5.7 from 5.8.