Türkiye's immigration statistics for 2023, released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), reveal a notable decline in immigration and a substantial rise in emigration compared to the previous year.

According to TurkStat, 316,456 people immigrated to Türkiye in 2023, marking a 35.9% decline from the previous year. Among these immigrants, 54.2% were male and 45.8% were female. A closer look at the data shows that 101,677 of these immigrants were Turkish citizens, while 214,779 were foreign nationals.

In contrast, the number of people leaving Türkiye surged by 53% in 2023, reaching 714,579. Of these emigrants, 55.2% were male and 44.8% were female. Turkish citizens made up 291,377 of the emigrants, with the remaining 423,202 being foreign nationals.

The age distribution of both immigrants and emigrants provides further insight into these trends. Among the immigrant population, 12.7% were aged 20-24, making this the largest age group. This was followed by the 25-29 age group at 10.8% and the 15-19 age group at 10.3%. For those emigrating, the largest age group was 25-29, comprising 15% of the total. This was followed by the 30-34 age group at 12.9% and the 20-24 age group at 12.5%.

Istanbul emerged as the province with the highest number of both immigrants and emigrants. The city accounted for 29.2% of all immigrants to Türkiye in 2023. Other significant destinations included Antalya (9.5%), Ankara (6.5%), Mersin (4.9%), and Bursa (4.4%). When it came to emigration, Istanbul again led with 36.4% of the total, followed by Antalya (10%), Ankara (7.1%), İzmir (3.5%), and Bursa (2.6%).

A breakdown by nationality revealed that Russian citizens were the largest group among foreign immigrants, making up 13.2% of this population. They were followed by citizens from Azerbaijan (8.2%), Turkmenistan (7.3%), Iran (6.7%), and Afghanistan (5.9%). Similarly, Russian citizens were the largest group among foreign emigrants at 17%. They were followed by citizens of Iraq (15.7%), Afghanistan (8.3%), Iran (6.5%), and Turkmenistan (4.9%).

These figures highlight the dynamic nature of migration in Türkiye, reflecting both geopolitical influences and domestic conditions. The significant increase in emigration and the decrease in immigration suggest changing socio-economic trends and international relations impacting Türkiye's population movements. (ILKHA)