More than 7,500 boys were named Alparslan, while nearly 8,800 girls were given the name Alya, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said on April 20.
Other widely preferred names included “Göktuğ” and “Metehan” for boys and “Defne” and “Gökçe” for girls.
According to data, the country’s total child population (aged 0 to 17) reached 21.4 million, making up 24.8 percent of the total population of 86.1 million.
Although this remains higher than the European Union average of 17.6 percent, the share has declined sharply over time, down from 48.5 percent in 1970, reflecting falling fertility rates and demographic transformation.
Regional disparities remain pronounced.
Southeastern cities recorded the highest shares of children, led by Şanlıurfa, Şırnak and Mardin, while the eastern city of Tunceli had the lowest proportions, followed by the northwestern provinces such as Edirne and Kırklareli.
Nationwide, around 42 percent of households had at least one child, with most families having one or two children.
Despite nearly 938,000 births recorded in 2024, projections show that the proportion of children in the population will continue to decline in the coming decades.
Under current trends, it could fall to around 22 percent by 2030 and below 15 percent by the end of the century.
While the overall child population is projected to shrink, health and education indicators show overall improvement for the nation’s youth.
Hospital births accounted for over 99 percent of deliveries, while vaccination rates remained high despite a slight decrease.
In education, primary school enrollment exceeded 95 percent, though it dropped to around 83 percent at the upper secondary level.
However, social challenges persist.
The data indicated that 36.8 percent of children are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, a rate higher than the national average.
