Istanbul's population outnumbers 131 countries despite decline

Istanbul's population outnumbers 131 countries, maintaining its status as a demographic giant despite a recent decline

Despite a decrease in population, Türkiye's most populous city, Istanbul, continues to surpass the population of 131 countries, according to the latest 2023 data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The city's population decreased by 252,072, settling at 15,655,924 people, yet it still hosts more individuals than countries such as Portugal, Hungary, and Belgium. Housing 18.34% of Türkiye's total population, Istanbul is home to 7.80 million males and 7.84 million females.

Even though the metropolitan city of Istanbul experienced a population decline last year, it remained ahead of countries like Tunisia with 12.5 million, Belgium with 11.7 million, and Hungary with 10.2 million in terms of population size.

This demographic achievement also places Istanbul ahead of countries such as Jordan, Greece and Azerbaijan.

Population of countries (Million)