Turkey placed 33rd out of 44 countries in the 2025 Global Retirement Report, scoring especially low in safety and quality of life, in findings that reflect the mounting struggles of millions of retirees.
The study, published by the UK-based Global Intelligence Unit of Global Citizen Solutions, compared retirement conditions across 44 countries using six indices: procedures, citizenship, economics, taxes, quality of life and safety. Turkey ranked 42nd in the Safety and Integration Index and 28th in Quality of Life, which factors in healthcare, environmental quality and weather.
In contrast Turkey placed fifth in the Economics Index due to low income requirements for residence and a weaker currency that boosts purchasing power for foreigners. But the same currency depreciation erodes pensions and savings for Turkish citizens.
The report also highlighted Turkey’s mixed performance in other areas — 20th in visa procedures, 21st in tax optimization and 28th in citizenship and mobility, with a five-year path to naturalization and dual citizenship allowed.
The findings come at a time of growing hardship for domestic retirees.
In July millions of pensioners and civil servants received pay increases tied to an official inflation rate of 35.05 percent, far below the 68.68 percent calculated by independent economists. Critics say using the lower figure leaves retirees unable to keep pace with the rising cost of food, rent and utilities.
Globally, Portugal, Mauritius, Spain, Uruguay and Austria topped the rankings thanks to strong performances across healthcare, safety, integration and tax benefits. More than 70 percent of countries achieved above-average scores in quality of life, underscoring Turkey’s position among the underperformers. Even countries often associated with instability, such as Mexico and Colombia, ranked higher in both safety and quality of life, while Namibia also surpassed Turkey in life quality.
Turkey’s low ranking highlights a deeper paradox: The country may seem affordable to foreign retirees, but its own citizens grapple with declining living standards.
There are around 13 million pensioners in Turkey. The lowest pension in the country is TL 16,881 ($407), below the current minimum wage of 22,104 lira ($533). Many pensioners have to work after retirement to support themselves amid the high cost of living in the country.
Over the past several years Turkey has suffered from a deteriorating economy, with high inflation and unemployment as well as a poor human rights record. The lira has been the worst performer in emerging markets for several years due largely to economic and monetary policy concerns under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. It has lost more than 130 percent of its value against the dollar since mid-2022, with the exchange rate rising from about 17.5 to more than 40 lira per dollar in three years.