The number of deaths in Türkiye in 2025 was reported at approximately 492,000, with diseases of the circulatory system, tumors and respiratory ailments ranking as the leading causes of mortality, according to official data released on June 25.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) noted that the registered deaths in 2025 showed a slight decrease compared to the previous year.
Demographically, males accounted for 55.1 percent of the fatalities, while females constituted 44.9 percent.
When analyzing deaths by cause, diseases of the circulatory system topped the list, accounting for 34.7 percent of all fatalities in 2025.
This comes amidst consecutive warnings from experts regarding a surge in heart attacks across the country. In recent years, the proportion of deaths stemming from myocardial infarctions has been steadily climbing in Türkiye, with specialists warning that the onset age for heart attacks has plummeted to as young as 35.
A regional analysis of circulatory system-related deaths reveals that the northwestern province of Çanakkale recorded the highest mortality rate from these conditions in 2025 at 47.7 percent.
The city was followed by the neighboring province of Balıkesir and the southern province of Hatay.
Tumors ranked as the second leading cause of death in Türkiye, the data showed.
In a country where cancer is relatively prevalent, malignant neoplasms of the larynx, trachea, bronchus and lungs were the most frequently diagnosed.
The third most prevalent cause of mortality was respiratory system diseases, accounting for 15.1 percent of deaths.
Notably, approximately 23 percent of Türkiye’s 86-million population are smokers, positioning the country among the top global consumers of tobacco.
Another notable finding in the 2025 data was the rise in the suicide rate.
In 2025, the crude suicide rate was calculated at 5.36 per 100,000 population. This means that approximately 5.4 out of every 100,000 people died by suicide during the year.
According to the data, around 80 percent of those who died by suicide were men, while women accounted for roughly 20 percent of the total.
