Happiness on rise in Türkiye while economy top worry: TÜİK

ANKARA

Around 53.3 percent of Türkiye's adult population described themselves as happy last year, with well-being improving across the board despite tough economic headwinds, including rising cost of living, according to the country's statistics office.

This figure climbed from 49.6 percent in 2024, representing a 3.7 percentage point gain over the past year, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said on Feb. 17.

Simultaneously, the share of the population reporting unhappiness saw a slight decline over the same period.

Happiness levels improved for both genders, though women continue to report higher levels of contentment than men.

Happiness rose across all age groups, but the most dramatic surge occurred among those aged 55 to 64, who recorded the sharpest rise in contentment over the past year.

Marital status was also linked to differences in happiness.

Married individuals reported higher levels of contentment than their single counterparts, with married women emerging as the most satisfied group in the survey.

When it comes to the source of their joy, the overwhelming majority of the participants put family at the center of their lives.

Health emerged as the most important value associated with happiness, with nearly two-thirds of the population naming it their main source of happiness, followed by love, success, money and work.

Overall optimism remained strong as around 67.1 percent of the respondents said they were hopeful about their future.

When asked to rate their lives on a scale of 0 to 10, the national average held steady at 5.7, a score that remained remarkably consistent for both men and women compared to the previous year.

In terms of public services, citizens expressed the highest levels of satisfaction with public safety, trailed by transportation and health services.

When identifying the country's biggest hurdles, respondents overwhelmingly pointed to the cost of living, following by poverty and education as the next most pressing concerns.