Statistics demonstrate notable changes in education, demographics, and social life, while simultaneously revealing a gender gap in the labor market, politics, and the division of household responsibilities. Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute and reports for 2025 allow for the compilation of a distinct statistical portrait.
Women in the labor market
One of the most striking findings of the reports is the female labor force participation rate: it stands at 36.8% compared to 72% for men. At the same time, the employment rate for women is 32.5% (for men — 66.9%). Meanwhile, the female unemployment rate is 11.8%. In other words, among women aged 15 and older, only about one-third are employed.
The duration of working life is no less telling. On average, men remain in the labor market for nearly 40 years, while women do so for only 20. One of the main reasons for this disparity is domestic responsibilities. 35% of non-working women cite domestic duties as the reason for their economic inactivity. Thus, the issue of female employment is directly linked to the distribution of family and household duties.
The minimum wage in Turkey for 2026 is 28,075.50 Turkish liras (currently, one Turkish lira is worth approximately 0.92 hryvnias) per month “net” in hand. The base minimum pension (for the SSK and Bağ-Kur categories) is 23,552 Turkish liras.
Features of the Turkish pension system
There are different categories of pensioners: military personnel, civil servants, and certain other population categories receive significantly higher payouts — with a minimum pension of around 30,000–40,000 liras. At the same time, pensions in Turkey are recalculated twice a year (in January and July) based on official 6-month inflation figures. If a pensioner passes away, their pension continues to be partially received by their spouse and/or children (the rules and conditions for sons and daughters differ substantially).
Household duties and family care
Domestic chores also indicate a significant difference between the genders. Women spend an average of 4.5 hours a day on household chores and family care, whereas men spend 53 minutes. The numbers show that domestic work falls predominantly on the shoulders of women. And this very factor can have a direct impact on professional fulfillment: the time spent on unpaid domestic labor and family care is harder to combine with full-time employment, professional development, entrepreneurship, or career advancement.
Education: choices of study and opportunities
Among individuals aged 25 and older, 88.3% of women and 97% of men share a corresponding level of education. The illiteracy rate, unfortunately, differs more distinctly by gender. Among women, it stands at 5.1% compared to 0.8% among men.
Among university graduates, the number of women and men is almost equal. However, in STEM fields — science, technology, and engineering — approximately two-thirds are men. Conversely, women dominate in fields such as education, healthcare, and the arts. For the labor market, this means that the question of gender balance begins long before the first job — already at the stage of choosing an educational path and professional specialization.
Demographic landscape
The male and female populations in Turkey are almost equal. As of 2025, the total population stood at just over 86 million.
According to statistics, women live slightly longer than men. The average life expectancy for women is 80.7 years, compared to 75.5 years for men.
In recent years, fertility rates have shifted dramatically. In 2024, the average number of children per woman fell to 1.48. Meanwhile, the mean age of a mother at first birth rose from 25.5 years in 2014 to 27.3 years in 2024. Encouragingly, a significant decrease in birth rates is observed among young girls aged 15 to 19.
Demographic indicators demonstrate an important transformation: family and reproductive decisions of Turkish women are gradually shifting toward an older age and more considered decision-making.
Public representation
An important indicator is the presence of women in politics. In the current 28th term of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, 118 female deputies are serving (which accounts for 19.9% of the total actual number of parliamentarians). Moreover, the two youngest members of the current parliament are women: Zehranur Aydemir and Rumeysa Kadak. The cabinet consists of a vice president and 17 ministers, among whom one is a woman.
Following the results of the latest local elections, the share of female mayors in Turkey stands at 7.2% of the total number of municipal heads. Women have headed 11 out of Turkey’s 81 provinces. For comparison, in the previous 2019 elections, there were only 4 such provinces. At the district and sub-province level (ilçe), women secured victory in 64 municipalities out of 922.
In sports, statistics show a particularly stark contrast. Female athletes have won 53.5% of all medals earned by Turkey in international competitions. However, the share of women in the leadership of sports federations remains at 7.3%. An example of a situation where performance does not necessarily translate into proportional representation at the governance level.
Overall, the statistics paint an interesting picture. On the one hand, women enter motherhood later, hold a significant presence in the higher education system, are actively represented in certain professional spheres, and demonstrate high achievements in international sports. On the other hand, the levels of female participation and employment in the labor market lag behind those of men, women spend substantially more time on domestic work, and their presence in political and executive environments remains limited.
Sources of information:
Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) and UN Women
Author: Kateryna Samoilyk
Photo: Pinterest