Internet usage in Türkiye continued to expand in 2026, with more than nine out of every 10 people aged 16 to 74 now using the internet, according to the latest data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Wednesday.

The institute said the proportion of internet users in the 16-74 age group rose to 92.3% in 2026, up from 90.9% a year earlier. Internet usage remained higher among men, reaching 94.8%, compared with 89.9% among women.

E-Government Services Gain Wider Adoption

The use of e-government services also continued to grow, with 76.0% of individuals accessing official public websites or applications for personal purposes during the previous 12 months.

Usage was significantly higher among men at 82.7%, while 69.4% of women reported using online public services.

By age group, individuals aged 25-34 were the most active users of e-government services, with a usage rate of 93.0%, whereas those aged 65-74 recorded the lowest rate at 31.3%.

Among the most common reasons for using e-government platforms, accessing personal information held by public authorities ranked first at 65.6%. This was followed by making appointments or reservations with public institutions (52.6%) and obtaining information from government agencies (45.7%).

Online Shopping Continues to Rise

The report also showed continued growth in e-commerce across the country.

The proportion of individuals purchasing or ordering goods and services online for personal use increased from 55.7% in 2025 to 60.0% in 2026.

Online shopping was more common among men, with 63.4% making internet purchases, compared with 56.6% of women.

Nearly half of all respondents (48.3%) said they had purchased or ordered goods or services online during the first three months of 2026.

More People Turn to Online Learning

Internet-based learning activities also became more widespread.

According to TÜİK, 22.9% of individuals participated in online learning for educational, professional, or personal purposes during the previous three months, representing an increase of 5.2 percentage points compared with the previous year.

Women recorded a slightly higher participation rate (23.5%) than men (22.4%).

WhatsApp Remains Türkiye's Most Popular Platform

WhatsApp continued to dominate as the country's most widely used messaging and social media application.

According to the survey, 90.0% of internet users reported using WhatsApp, followed by YouTube (77.6%) and Instagram (71.1%).

Among male users, 92.5% used WhatsApp, 80.1% used YouTube, and 71.9% used Instagram.

Among women, 87.6% used WhatsApp, 75.0% accessed YouTube, and 70.2% used Instagram.

Smart TVs Lead Connected Device Usage

Internet-connected televisions remained the most commonly used smart device among internet users, with 62.0% reporting regular use.

Other connected devices included internet-enabled household appliances—such as robot vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, ovens, and coffee machines—which were used by 18.6% of respondents.

Meanwhile, 16.7% said they used wearable or connected devices such as smartwatches, fitness bands, internet-connected accessories, or smart clothing.

Price Tops Consumer Priorities

When purchasing mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, or other digital devices, 89.3% of internet users identified price as the most important consideration.

Hardware specifications ranked second at 74.7%, followed by energy efficiency (69.9%) and brand, design, or size (69.5%), highlighting the factors consumers consider most when buying technology products.

The latest figures underscore Türkiye's continued digital transformation, with increasing internet penetration, expanding use of digital public services, rising e-commerce activity, and growing reliance on connected technologies across everyday life. (ILKHA)