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More people moved out of Istanbul than relocated to the city in 2025, even though Türkiye's largest city recorded the highest number of incoming migrants in the country, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute.
A total of 2,475,019 people moved between provinces across Türkiye last year, representing 2.87% of the population.
The share of the population migrating between provinces stood at 3.18% in 2008 and followed a fluctuating course over the following years before reaching 2.87% in 2025.
Women accounted for 52.5% of people who moved between provinces, while men represented 47.5%.
Istanbul received 329,912 migrants in 2025, the highest number recorded by any province.
Ankara ranked second with 176,833 incoming migrants, followed by Izmir with 106,083.
The provinces receiving the fewest migrants were Ardahan with 4,914, Bayburt with 5,064, and Tunceli with 6,078.
Istanbul also ranked first in the number of people leaving, with 371,258 residents moving to another province during the year.
The figures showed that the number of departures from Istanbul exceeded the number of arrivals.
Ankara recorded the second-highest out-migration figure, with 145,661 people leaving the province, while Izmir ranked third with 98,728 departures.
The provinces with the lowest out-migration were Ardahan with 5,916, Bayburt with 6,388, and Tunceli with 7,558.
The largest migration movement in 2025 occurred among people aged 20 to 24, with 480,185 members of the age group relocating between provinces.
Women accounted for 58.5% of migrants in this age group, while men made up 41.5%.
Education was the most common reason for migration among people aged 20 to 24, with 179,612 people moving for educational purposes.
Another 75,591 people in the age group relocated to begin a job or find employment.
A further 42,391 moved because they were seeking better housing and living conditions.
The data showed that education played a particularly significant role in migration among young adults, while employment and housing conditions were also major factors.
Of the 2,475,019 people who moved between provinces in 2025, 564,114 migrated as dependents of another member of their household.
Better housing and living conditions were the second-leading reason, accounting for 510,226 moves.
Education ranked next, with 406,144 people relocating for that purpose.
The leading reason for migration among men was better housing and living conditions, cited by 253,093 people.
Migration as a dependent of another household member and transfers or job changes were also among the main reasons men moved between provinces.
Among women, migration as a dependent of another household member was the leading reason, accounting for 334,900 moves.
Education and the search for better housing and living conditions were also among the most important reasons women relocated.
People who moved to another province following the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes and later returned to the province where they had lived before the disaster were classified under the category of returning to family or hometown.
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