Türkiye’s digital habits mapped as daily internet use surpasses 7 hours

ISTANBUL

Turkish people spend an average of over seven hours a day online, according to a comprehensive assessment of national digital usage patterns, highlighting the scale of the country’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.

According to data compiled from the We Are Social 2025 report, alongside figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), daily internet use stands at seven hours and 13 minutes, with four hours and four minutes of that time spent on mobile devices.

Social media usage averages 25 hours and four minutes per week, while mobile devices account for 76.6 percent of total internet traffic.

As Türkiye’s population approaches 86 million, digital connectivity continues to expand at a faster pace. The number of mobile subscribers reached 99.1 million as of the third quarter of last year, surpassing the total population.

By October 2025, the country recorded approximately 62.3 million active social media users, representing 70.9 percent of the population and 80.4 percent of all internet users.

Seeking information remains the primary motivation for going online, cited by 71.6 percent of users. Google ranks as the most visited website in Türkiye, while “hava durumu” (weather forecast) is the most frequently searched term.

Instagram leads the social media landscape with 62.3 million users, followed by YouTube with 57.9 million.

Platform usage remains widespread, with 89.5 percent of social media users active on Instagram, 88.9 percent on WhatsApp, 78 percent on YouTube, 68.6 percent on Facebook and 58.7 percent on X.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu warned that the rapid expansion of digital platforms has intensified concerns over surveillance and data security.

He said large-scale data monitoring, biometric surveillance and internet of things-based (IoT) data collection often take place without explicit user consent, carrying risks for personal privacy and national security, calling for stronger regulatory frameworks.