A total of 427,224 more people were added to Turkey’s population as of December 31, 2025, bringing the country’s total population to 86,092,168, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Monday.
The figures, published under the Address Based Population Registration System results for 2025, showed that the country’s population stood at 85,664,944 a year earlier.
Men accounted for 50.02 percent of the population, while women made up 49.98 percent. The annual population growth rate increased to 5 per thousand in 2025, up from 3.4 per thousand the previous year.
İstanbul remained Turkey’s most populous city, with its population rising by 52,451 to 15,754,053 and accounting for 18.3 percent of the country’s total population. The city was followed by the capital of Ankara with 5,910,320 residents, İzmir with 4,504,185, Bursa with 3,263,011 and Antalya with 2,777,677.
Bayburt was the least populous province with 82,836 residents. It was followed by Tunceli, Ardahan, Gümüşhane and Kilis.
The share of people living in provincial and district centers increased slightly to 93.6 percent in 2025, while the proportion of those living in towns and villages declined to 6.4 percent.
The number of foreign nationals residing in Turkey also rose, increasing by 38,968 to 1,519,515. İstanbul’s Esenyurt district became the country’s most populous district, with a population of 1,003,905, marking the first time a district in Turkey exceeded 1 million residents. Turkey’s median age continued to rise, reaching 34.9 in 2025, up from 34.4 a year earlier. The median age increased to 34.2 for men and 35.7 for women.
Population density across Turkey was calculated at 112 people per square kilometer. İstanbul recorded the highest density with 2,943 people per square kilometer, while Tunceli had the lowest at 11.
The modest population increase follows growing concern over Turkey’s slowing demographic growth. Official data show the country’s fertility rate has fallen steadily over the past two decades, dropping from 2.38 children per woman in 2001 to 1.48 in 2025, well below the replacement level.
Alarmed by the trend, the government last year declared 2025 the “Year of the Family” and announced new incentives aimed at encouraging childbirth. Critics, however, argue that persistently high inflation, rising education costs, youth unemployment and limited social support have made starting families increasingly difficult, casting doubt on whether policy measures alone can reverse the decline.