Turkey
Turkey claims the 3rd spot worldwide for university enrollment. That 127.6 figure is hard to beat. How well do you really know Turkey?
Turkey is a country in Europe with a population of 84.63M and an area of 783,562 km². Life expectancy is 77.2 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
University Enrollment Rate
127.6%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Land Area
769.6KTotal land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
CO2 Per Capita
5.87How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
Human Development Index
0.85The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
45.1KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🚀University Enrollment Rate
127.6%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
🍻Air Passengers
125.94MTotal passengers carried by airlines registered in that country, regardless of where flights originated or ended.
💰Inflation Rate
58.5%How much prices increased over the year, based on the cost of everyday goods and services.
🛡️Active Military Personnel
495.0KMilitary and security service personnel strengths from CIA World Factbook.
🌱Irrigated Land
52.1KIrrigated land area from CIA World Factbook.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Ranks #3 globally in university enrollment rate
University Enrollment Rate: 127.6%
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #38 in employment rate (%)
Employment Rate (%): 59.2%
The percentage of adults aged 25-64 who are employed.
OECD 2024Only ranks #35 in life satisfaction
Life Satisfaction: 5.80
How satisfied people are with their lives, rated on a scale from 0 to 10.
OECD 2024Ranks #5 globally in air passengers
Air Passengers: 125.94M
Total passengers carried by airlines registered in that country, regardless of where flights originated or ended.
World Bank 2023Ranks #8 in inflation rate (lower is better)
Inflation Rate: 58.5%
How much prices increased over the year, based on the cost of everyday goods and services.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Turkey Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
Above avgGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Turkey
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire by reformer and national hero Mustafa KEMAL, known as Ataturk or "Father of the Turks." One-party rule ended in 1950, and periods of instability and military coups have since fractured the multiparty democracy, in 1960, 1971, 1980, 1997, and 2016.
Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and NATO in 1952. In 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community; it began accession talks with the EU in 2005. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a US-designated terrorist organization, began a separatist insurgency in Turkey in 1984, and the struggle has long dominated the attention of Turkish security forces. In 2013, the Turkish Government and the PKK conducted negotiations aimed at ending the violence, but intense fighting resumed in 2015.
The Turkish Government conducted a referendum in 2017 in which voters approved constitutional amendments changing Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system.
- Location
- Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
- Climate
- temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
- Terrain
- high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges
- Natural Resources
- coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van; landslides; flooding volcanism: limited volcanic activity; the three historically active volcanoes (Ararat, Nemrut Dagi, and Tendurek Dagi) have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier
- Size Comparison
- slightly larger than Texas
- Languages
- Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages
- Religions
- Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
- Ethnic Groups
- Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 19%, other minorities 6-11% (2016 est.)
- Major Cities
- 15.848 million Istanbul, 5.397 million ANKARA (capital), 3.088 million Izmir, 2.086 million Bursa, 1.836 million Adana, 1.805 million Gaziantep (2023)
- Government Type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- Ankara
- Capital Coordinates
- 39 56 N, 32 52 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Turkey
- Name Origin
- the name means "Land of the Turks"
- Independence
- 29 October 1923 (republic proclaimed, succeeding the Ottoman Empire)
- National Symbols
- vertical crescent moon with adjacent five-pointed star
- National Anthem
- "Istiklal Marsi" (The March of Independence)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 22 (20 cultural, 2 mixed)
- Overview
- upper-middle-income, diversified Middle Eastern economy; industrializing economy that maintains large agricultural base; key energy, tourism, and construction sectors; high inflation, interest rates, and foreign debt pose risk to financial stability
- Industries
- textiles, food processing, automobiles, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
- Agricultural Products
- sugar beets, wheat, milk, tomatoes, barley, maize, potatoes, apples, grapes, watermelons (2023)
- Export Partners
- Germany 9%, USA 6%, UK 6%, UAE 5%, Iraq 5% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- garments, cars, gold, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
- Import Partners
- China 13%, Russia 9%, Germany 9%, Switzerland 6%, USA 5% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- gold, refined petroleum, cars, plastics, natural gas (2023)
- Military Forces
- Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri) Ministry of Interior: Gendarmerie General Command (aka Gendarmerie of the Turkish Republic), Turkish Coast Guard Command, General Directorate of Security (National Police) (2025)
- Military Service
- military service is compulsory for Turkish men 20-41 for a period of 6-12 months; men and women may volunteer (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 57.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 6.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 10.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); geothermal: 2.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations; multiple privately owned national TV stations and 567 private regional and local TV stations; multi-channel cable TV available; 1,007 private radio stations (2019)
- Space Program
- has an ambitious national space program with a focus on satellites, satellite components, satellite launch capabilities, software development, ground station technologies, and building up the country's space industries; manufactures and operates remote sensing and telecommunications satellites; in recent years has initiated a satellite/space launch vehicle (SLV) program with the goal of independently placing satellites into orbit and a probe on the Moon; works with more than 25 foreign space agencies and corporations, including those of Azerbaijan, China, France, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, and the US, as well as the ESA; has state-owned rocket and satellite development companies, including some under the Ministry of Defense; has a growing private space-industry sector, and the Turkish Government has pledged to increase the country's share of the global space market (2025)
Deep Dive
78 of 144 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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Azerbaijan
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Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Frequently Asked Questions about Turkey
Turkey has a population of 84.63M, ranking #18 globally by population.
Turkey is located in Europe. It has an area of 783,562 km².
Life expectancy in Turkey is 77.2 years, ranking #81 globally.
Turkey's GDP per capita (PPP) is 45.1K, ranking #57 globally.
Turkey ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#3), Population (#18), Land Area (#36).
Turkey has an HDI of 0.853, ranking #51 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Turkey has a population density of 110.9 people per km², ranking #95 globally.
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