Emigration from Turkey spiked by 53% in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to figures released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
Among over 714,000 individuals who emigrated from Turkey, 291,377 were Turkish nationals and 423,202 were foreigners. Turkey’s population is nearly at 85 million, and the country hosts nearly 4 million refugees and migrants according to government figures.
The age group most likely to emigrate was the 25-29 group, comprising 15% of the total emigrants. This was followed by the 30-34 age group at 12.9%, and the 20-24 age group at 12.5%. Notably, men constituted 55.2% of the emigrants, while women made up 44.8%.
Immigrations on decline
The number of people immigrating to Turkey saw a 35.9% decline last year, with some 316,456 people moving to Turkey. Among these immigrants, 101,677 were Turkish citizens returning to the country, and 214,779 were foreigners. Men represented 54.2% of the incoming population, with women accounting for 45.8%.
İstanbul, Turkey’s largest city with a population of over 15 million, remained the primary city for both immigration and emigration. It received 29.2% of all immigrants to Turkey in 2023, followed by Antalya (9.5%), Ankara (6.5%), Mersin (4.9%), and Bursa (4.4%). Similarly, İstanbul was the leading city for emigration, with 36.4% of emigrants leaving from there, followed by Antalya (10%), Ankara (7.1%), İzmir (3.5%), and Bursa (2.6%).
Russians remain the largest group
Among the foreign nationals moving to Turkey, Russian citizens made up the largest group at 13.2%, just as the previous year due to the Ukraine war. They were followed by citizens of Azerbaijan (8.2%), Turkmenistan (7.3%), Iran (6.7%), and Afghanistan (5.9%).
For those leaving Turkey, Russian nationals also topped the list at 17%, followed by Iraqis (15.7%), Afghans (8.3%), Iranians (6.5%), and Turkmens (4.9%).
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Turkey's Antalya becomes a new destination for digital nomads of Russia, Ukraine amid war
(RT/VK)
