Primary cesarean rates see first drop after years of steady increase

ANKARA

Türkiye has recorded a 4.1-point drop in primary cesarean section rates over the past year, reversing a long-standing upward trend, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu announced during the 2026 budget presentation.

The rate fell from 32.1 percent in 2025 to 28 percent, largely attributed by the ministry to measures introduced under the “Normal Birth Action Plan,” which seeks to curb non-medically indicated cesarean deliveries.

According to ministry data, maternal mortality declined from 64 per 100,000 live births in 2002 to 11.5 in 2024, while infant mortality dropped from 31.5 per 1,000 to 8.9 over the same period.

Türkiye continues to report one of the highest C-section rates among OECD countries; a nationwide study from 2018-2023 found 57.6 percent of six million births occurred via cesarean.

The plan includes expanding pregnancy schools, midwifery clinics and a one midwife per expectant mother program as the ministry prepares to move into its second phase.