Emigration drops in Türkiye while immigration remains steady

ANKARA

Emigration from Türkiye fell by over 40 percent last year, marking a significant shift in migration trends, while the number of people moving into the country remained largely steady, according to the latest figures published by the country’s statistics office.

A total of 424,345 people emigrated from Türkiye last year, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said on June 24.

In 2023, the same figure had risen sharply by 53 percent compared to the previous year, lingering around 714,500.

Of those leaving the country last year, more than 273,000 were foreign nationals and nearly 151,000 were Turkish citizens.

Meanwhile, 314,588 people moved to Türkiye from abroad in 2024, marking a slight decline of 0.6 percent from the previous year.

Among the newcomers, 210,856 were foreign nationals, while 103,732 were Turkish citizens returning from overseas.

Young adults made up the majority of both groups.

The largest share of emigrants was in the 25–29 age group, while the 20–24 age group led among immigrants.

Istanbul remained the top province for both immigration and emigration.

Nearly one-third of all incoming migrants chose to settle in the city, while 34 percent of those leaving Türkiye also departed from Istanbul.

Other leading provinces included Ankara, Antalya, İzmir and Mersin.

Among foreign nationals arriving in Türkiye, the largest group came from Azerbaijan, with 9.9 percent, followed by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Iran.

In contrast, the top nationality among foreigners leaving Türkiye was Iraqi with 17.4 percent, with Afghan, Russian, Iranian and Turkmen citizens also making up a significant share.