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Türkiye remains the youngest nation in its region despite a long-term decline in birth rates.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) released the "Statistics with Children 2025" report on Monday. This data shows that children make up 24.8% of the 86,092,168 residents. This group represents 21,375,930 individuals under the age of 18.
Türkiye currently maintains a significantly higher youth ratio than the European Union average of 17.6%. Ireland follows Türkiye with 22.7%, while France and Sweden both record 20.4%.
The report notes that 51.3% of the child population is boys and 48.7% are girls.
Current numbers hide a significant historical shift in the number of young residents.
Children accounted for nearly half of the total population in 1970. This figure dropped to 41.8% by 1990 and fell further to its current level in 2025. TUIK projections suggest this downward trajectory will persist throughout the century.
Experts expect the youth ratio to drop to 22.1% by 2030. They estimate this figure will reach 17.9% in 2040 and eventually touch a low of 14.5% by the year 2100. This transition signals a move toward an older demographic structure that may eventually strain social and economic systems.
Regional distribution also highlights a divided landscape. Sanliurfa reports the highest concentration of children at 43.3%.
Sirnak and Mardin follow with 39.2% and 36.7%. In contrast, Tunceli has the lowest child population at 15.9%. Edirne and Kirklareli also sit at the bottom of the list with 16.9% and 17.7%.
Roughly 42% of all households in Türkiye include at least one child. Only 1.1% of these families have five or more children. Tunceli also reports the lowest percentage of households with children at 27.3%.
Financial vulnerability remains a primary threat to the well-being of the younger generation. The report highlights that children face a much higher risk of poverty than the general public.
Health and education metrics show mixed progress. Hospital births now account for 99.4% of all deliveries. Vaccination rates for the five-in-one mixed vaccine reached 96% in 2024.
Schooling rates for five-year-olds sit at 82.5%. Primary school completion remains very high at 98.6%. However, high school completion rates drop to 81.3%. Girls graduate high school at a rate of 83.5%
This figure surpasses the 79.2% graduation rate for boys. Total enrollment in formal education reached 17,956,523 students during the last academic term.
Social trends and legal changes have significantly impacted domestic life over the last two decades.
Official marriages for girls aged 16 or 17 plummeted from 7.3% in 2002 to 1.5% in 2025. Courts assigned custody for 191,371 children following divorce cases last year. Mothers received custody in 74.6% of these cases.
Popular names for infants reflect modern preferences. Parents chose Alparslan, Goktug, and Metehan most frequently for boys. They chose Alya, Defne, and Gokce for girls.
The report also notes that 15,508 children remain under institutional care. Social services support over 10,000 children through foster family programs. Overall life expectancy at birth stands at 78.1 years. Women expect to live 80.7 years while men expect to live 75.5 years.
Despite these gains in life expectancy, the underlying economic risks suggest that the youngest members of society face an uncertain path.
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