Population characteristics and structure of Türkiye

Abstract

Türkiye's population figures, initially recorded at 13.6 million during the first population census in 1927, have since surged to 86 million today. Policies aimed at encouraging population growth were pursued actively from 1927 to 1960, shaping Türkiye's demographic landscape. However, a shift occurred in the post-1960 era, where it was deemed imperative to curtail population growth due to its perceived adverse effects on the country's development. This kind approach to its demographic policy prevailed until 2007 when policies favoring population growth were reinstated. This study spans from 1927, marking Türkiye's first official population census, to the present day. The study deals with numerous demographic aspects such as the changing population figure dynamics, growth rates, birth and death statistics, gender distributions, and age demographics over the period from the first 1927 population census to the present. Additionally, a concerted effort is made in this study to delineate the population's segmentation into rural and urban zones, to show reasons prompting its population to transition from rural to urban settings, present the environmental impacts of these migrations, and unravel the intricate relationships between the causes and effects of these migrations. The scope of the study extends beyond a mere record of internal population movements, to include also the records about emigrations from Türkiye to foreign countries and immigrations from those countries back to Türkiye. The study investigates the profound effects of these migrations on social and economic life. Without any doubt, this study will discuss population policies implemented at different times, in terms of their varying impacts on this process and the resulting effects of these policies. Furthermore, the study makes future projections about the future demographic trends in Türkiye.