Skip to content
News from Turkey

Turkey’s Outbound Migration Falls by 40% in 2024, Youth Lead the Trend

Youth Migration in Turkey

According to 2024 migration data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the number of people emigrating from Turkey dropped significantly by 40.6%, falling to 424,345. Meanwhile, 314,588 people immigrated to Turkey, marking a slight 0.6% decrease compared to the previous year.

Youth Dominate Migration Trends

Among those leaving Turkey, the 25–29 age group accounted for 14.4% of all emigrants — the highest share. This was followed by the 20–24 age group (12.2%) and the 30–34 age group (12.1%), highlighting a continued youth-driven migration trend. The inbound migration data showed a similar pattern: the 20–24 age group led with 14.7%, followed by 25–29 (12.1%) and 30–34 (10.3%).

This trend points to a critical outflow of educated and employable youth, signaling long-term impacts on Turkey’s labor force and talent pool.

Istanbul Leads Both Inbound and Outbound Migration

As in previous years, Istanbul remained the top hub for both incoming and outgoing migration:

  • 32.8% of those moving to Turkey settled in Istanbul

  • 34% of those moving from Turkey also departed from Istanbul

Other top provinces for inbound migration were Antalya (8.5%), Ankara (7.4%), Mersin (5.5%), and Izmir (3.7%). These same cities also featured prominently among departure points, suggesting strong internal-international mobility links.

Citizenship Breakdown: Azerbaijan Tops Inbound, Iraq Leads Outbound

Among foreign nationals moving to Turkey, Azerbaijan ranked first with 9.9%, followed by:

  • Turkmenistan (9.8%)

  • Uzbekistan (7.6%)

  • Russia (7.5%)

  • Iran (5.9%)

Conversely, among foreigners leaving Turkey, Iraqi citizens led with 17.4%, followed by:

  • Afghanistan (13.1%)

  • Russia (10.2%)

  • Iran (5.9%)

  • Turkmenistan (5.8%)

Gender Distribution Remains Balanced

The gender ratio of migration remained relatively balanced. Among arrivals, 54.5% were male and 45.5% female. Among departures, 55.7% were male, while 44.3% were female, showing no significant gender gap in migration tendencies.

Migration Slows Overall in 2024

The overall number of inbound and outbound international migrants in Turkey declined sharply in 2024. Analysts point to global economic uncertainty, geopolitical factors, and domestic labor conditions as potential contributors to the trend.

Related articles