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Türkiye drew 393,829 migrants from abroad in 2025, a 25.2% increase from the previous year, with citizens of Turkmenistan accounting for the largest share of foreign arrivals, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
Foreign nationals made up most of the newcomers, totaling 301,877 people, while 91,952 were Turkish citizens returning or moving to the country from abroad.
Turkmen citizens topped the list of foreign nationals moving to Türkiye, accounting for 23.4% of all foreign arrivals in 2025, despite tighter migration and residence rules that have affected parts of the Turkmen diaspora in recent years. They were followed by citizens of Azerbaijan with 8.3%, Uzbekistan with 6.9%, Egypt with 6.1% and Afghanistan with 5.8%.
Istanbul continued to attract the largest share of newcomers, receiving 42.2% of all migrants arriving in Türkiye during the year. Antalya ranked second with 9.1%, followed by Ankara with 6.7%, Izmir with 3.1%, and Bursa with 2.9%.
People aged 20-24 accounted for 16.3% of arrivals, followed by those aged 25-29 at 13.7% and those aged 30-34 at 11.5%. Men represented 56.6% of arrivals and women 43.4%.
Beyond the largest destinations by volume, provincial data showed that migration was spread across the country. Antalya, Mugla, Yalova, and Istanbul stood out among provinces recording some of the highest immigration rates relative to their population size in 2025.
While arrivals climbed sharply, the number of people leaving Türkiye fell 5% from 2024 to 403,216. Of those departing, 155,119 were Turkish citizens and 248,097 were foreign nationals.
Among foreign nationals leaving Türkiye, Iraqi citizens continued to form the largest group at 15.7%. They were followed by Afghans with 11.2%, Russians with 7.6%, Iranians with 6.3% and Turkmens with 5.7%.
Istanbul also recorded the highest share of outward migration, accounting for 35.4% of all departures. Ankara followed with 8.7%, while Antalya, Mersin and Izmir accounted for 6.5%, 4.3% and 3.7%, respectively.
Looking at age groups, people aged 25-29 represented the largest share of those leaving the country at 14.3%, followed by the 20-24 group at 12.5% and the 30-34 group at 12%. Men accounted for 55.3% of emigrants, while women represented 44.7%.
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