Istanbul sees more residents leave than arrive in 2025

ANKARA

More people left Istanbul than moved into Türkiye’s largest city in 2025, despite it remaining the country’s top destination for internal migration, according to official data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

Around 371,000 people left Istanbul for other provinces during the year, while nearly 330,000 moved into the city, making it both the country’s biggest sender and receiver of internal migrants. Ankara and İzmir followed Istanbul as the leading provinces for both arrivals and departures.

Nationwide, about 2.5 million people changed provinces in 2025, with internal migration accounting for 2.87 percent of the population, continuing a gradual decline from previous years.

Young adults aged 20–24 exhibited the highest mobility, with education emerging as the primary reason for relocation within that demographic.

Across all age groups, the most common reason for moving was relocating with another household member, followed by seeking better housing and living conditions and pursuing education.