Turkey: a looming demographic crisis
Turkey: a looming demographic crisis

Author(s): Zuzanna Krzyżanowska
Subject(s): Politics, Governance, Public Law
Published by: OSW Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia
Keywords: Turkey; demography; Black Sea
Summary/Abstract: After many years of rapid population growth, Turkey’s demographic future hangs in the balance. The record-low birth rate in 2023 and the changing age structure indicate that Turkish society is entering a stage of ageing typical for highly developed countries. Regional disparities in this respect are also deepening: the country’s poorer, south-eastern region has a much higher fertility rate and a younger population, while the northern regions along the Black Sea have a higher average age. These current trends reflect deeper transformations taking place in Turkey, driven by internal migration and modernisation processes related to factors such as urbanisation and cultural changes; they are also the product of many years of economic uncertainty. Simultaneously, growing numbers of mostly young people have been leaving the country. These developments herald an imminent demographic crisis that will negatively impact the Turkish economy and necessitate a major adjustment of social policy.

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