Türkiye ranks 18th globally as fertility stays below world average

Türkiye ranked as the world’s 18th most populous country in 2025 with a population of 86.1 million, while its fertility rate remained below the global average and its population continued to show signs of gradual aging, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Wednesday to mark World Population Day.

Drawing on the United Nations’ 2025 mid-year population estimates, TurkStat said the world’s population is projected to reach 8.23 billion people.

India remained the world’s most populous country with nearly 1.46 billion people, followed by China with 1.42 billion and the U.S. with 347.3 million. Together, the three countries account for 39.2% of the global population.

With a population of 86,092,168, Türkiye represents approximately 1% of the world’s population and ranks 18th among 194 countries.

The data also highlighted demographic shifts affecting countries around the world, including declining fertility rates, aging populations and changing age structures.

According to the report, children aged 0-17 account for 29.3% of the global population. Türkiye’s child population ratio stood at 24.8%, below the global average but higher than every member state of the European Union.

The Central African Republic recorded the highest proportion of children at 56.2%, followed by Niger and Somalia, while South Korea had the world’s lowest child population share at 12.9%, ahead of Japan and Singapore.

Among EU member states, Ireland had the highest proportion of children at 22.3%, followed by Sweden and France. Italy recorded the lowest child population share in the bloc at 14.6%.

The report showed a similar trend for young people aged 15-24. Globally, young people make up 15.6% of the population, while Türkiye’s youth population accounts for 14.8%, slightly below the world average.

South Sudan had the highest youth population ratio at 23.3%, followed by Syria and the Central African Republic. Monaco recorded the lowest share of young people at 8.8%.

Despite remaining below the global average, Türkiye’s youth population ratio was higher than that of all 27 EU member states. Ireland recorded the highest youth share within the bloc at 13.5%, followed by France and Denmark.

The data also pointed to the continued rise in elderly populations across many countries.

People aged 65 and over account for 10.4% of the world’s population, while Türkiye’s elderly population reached 11.1%, placing it slightly above the global average. However, Türkiye still has a younger population than EU countries, all of which recorded higher shares of elderly residents.

Monaco had the world’s oldest population, with people aged 65 and over making up 36% of its residents. Japan and Italy followed with 30% and 25.1%, respectively. Qatar recorded the lowest elderly population ratio at 1.7%.

One of the report’s most notable findings was the continued decline in fertility rates.

The global total fertility rate was estimated at 2.24 children per woman in 2025, while Türkiye’s fertility rate stood at 1.42, remaining well below the level needed for long-term population replacement.

Chad recorded the world’s highest fertility rate with 5.94 children per woman, followed by Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. South Korea had the world’s lowest fertility rate at just 0.75 children per woman, ahead of Singapore and Ukraine.

Within the European Union, Bulgaria recorded the highest fertility rate at 1.74 children per woman, while Malta had the lowest at 1.11.

The report also compared life expectancy across countries. Globally, life expectancy at birth reached 73.5 years in 2025, including 70.9 years for men and 76.2 years for women.

Türkiye exceeded the global averages for both genders. Male life expectancy at birth was estimated at 75.5 years, while women were expected to live 80.7 years on average.

Monaco ranked first worldwide for both male and female life expectancy, with men expected to live 84.7 years and women 88.7 years. Italy recorded the highest male life expectancy within the EU, while Spain ranked first for women.

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