Türkiye has introduced a new long-term strategy to address demographic challenges by closely monitoring changes in family structure and population trends, as the country faces declining birth rates and an aging population.
The Family and Population Decade Vision Document, prepared by the Family and Social Services Ministry, aims to regularly monitor changes in family and population patterns, identify the reasons behind them and assess their impact on individuals, families and society.
Building on initiatives launched during 2025, designated as the “Year of the Family,” the document sets out a roadmap based on five priorities: protecting the family institution, encouraging marriage, increasing fertility, supporting the development of young people while improving the well-being of older adults and promoting balanced population distribution through rural development.
The ministry will prepare regular action plans to put these goals into practice and track their progress. It will also strengthen the country’s data infrastructure to ensure future policies are based on scientific evidence.
A new data and analysis platform will be created using information from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) and other public institutions. The platform will regularly produce research and official statistics on family and population trends, helping policymakers understand both the causes of demographic change and its long-term effects.
Government institutions will also examine how demographic shifts could affect their areas of responsibility and develop preventive measures accordingly. Universities will be encouraged to open graduate programs on family and population studies, while new funding will support academic research and international cooperation in the field.
The strategy comes as Türkiye’s birth rate continues to decline. According to TÜİK, 895,374 babies were born in 2025, with boys accounting for 51.4 percent of births and girls 48.6 percent.
The country’s total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — fell to 1.42 in 2025, down from 2.38 in 2001. It has remained below 2.1 children per woman, the level needed for a population to replace itself without migration, for the past nine years.
The number of provinces with very low birth rates has also increased dramatically. In 2017, only four of Türkiye’s 81 provinces had fertility rates below 1.50, compared with 59 provinces in 2025.
