Turkey: Increase in Elderly Population Over the Last Five Years

The Turkish Statistical Institute announced a 21.4% increase in the number of residents aged 65 and over in the country over the past five years, reaching 8 million 722 thousand 806 people in 2023. According to research published by the institute on statistics related to the elderly for the year 2023, their proportion of the total population rose to 10.2% in the same year. Based on these figures, the number of residents aged 65 and over in Turkey, which was 7 million 186 thousand 204 in 2018, increased by 21.4% over the last five years to reach 8 million 722 thousand 806 in 2023. The proportion of seniors from the total population rose from 8.8% in 2018 to 10.2% last year. According to the data, 44.5% of the elderly are men and 55.5% are women. It is projected that the proportion of seniors will reach 12.9% by 2030, 16.3% by 2040, 22.6% by 2060, and 25.6% by 2080. The surpassing of 10% in the elderly population as a proportion of the total population indicates an aging demographic, as the number of elderly people in Turkey has been increasing at a faster rate than other age groups.