Türkiye ranked 18th among 194 countries with a population of more than 86 million, while maintaining a significantly younger demographic profile than European Union member states, official data released on July 9 showed ahead of World Population Day.
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), citing the latest United Nations population estimates, the world’s population was projected to reach 8.23 billion by mid-2025.
India remains the world’s most populous country with 1.46 billion people, followed by China with 1.42 billion and the United States with 347.3 million. Together, the three countries account for 39.2 percent of the global population.
With a population of 86.09 million, Türkiye ranked 18th worldwide, representing around 1 percent of the global population.
The figures were released ahead of World Population Day, observed annually on July 11. The day was established by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) following the milestone of the world’s population reaching 5 billion on July 11, 1987.
The data also highlighted Türkiye’s relatively young population compared with the European Union.
Children accounted for 24.8 percent of Türkiye’s population in 2025, exceeding the share recorded in all 27 EU member states. Ireland had the bloc’s highest proportion of children at 22.3 percent.
Despite its youthful demographic structure, Türkiye’s population is continuing to age. People aged 65 and over made up 11.1 percent of the country’s population, slightly above the global average of 10.4 percent but still below the levels recorded across all EU member states.
Monaco had the world’s highest proportion of elderly residents, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 36 percent of its population.
Life expectancy at birth in Türkiye also remained above the global average. It stood at 75.5 years for men and 80.7 years for women, according to the U.N. estimates cited by TÜİK.
