Türkiye’s ageing population is increasing demand for residential care, with nursing homes struggling to keep pace, particularly in major cities.
The share of people aged 65 and over has risen to 11.1 percent of the country’s total population, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), highlighting growing pressure on elderly care and accommodation services.
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said in a statement that 15,263 people are currently receiving care at 178 nursing homes and elderly care and rehabilitation centers operated by the ministry. There are also 290 privately run nursing homes and 18 facilities operated by other public institutions.
Göktaş said applicants to nursing homes have an average age of 78, while capacity expansion efforts are continuing. Six new care facilities with a combined capacity of 710 people are planned, while construction is underway at 24 nursing homes. Fourteen of those facilities are expected to be completed in 2027.
The ministry is also conducting feasibility and project studies for 26 additional nursing homes. Facilities whose projects are completed are expected to be proposed for inclusion in the 2027 Presidential Investment Program.
Waiting lists are particularly long in major cities and at certain facilities, Göktaş said. Preferences for single rooms, as well as climate, dietary habits and a desire to remain in the city where people were born and raised, are among factors contributing to longer waits.
The ministry also plans to expand day care centers and develop community-based care models, allowing older people to receive support while remaining connected to their homes and social surroundings. The approach offers alternatives to institutional care as the country’s demographic profile continues to change.
