Migration in Turkey
Statistics
Official data published by the Presidency of Migration Management, presented in the form of easy-to-read graphs. The date of the data is listed below each section.
All figures are official statistics published by the Presidency of Migration Management of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Turkey. Atasa Consulting does not generate, modify, or estimate these figures; it merely converts them into readable graphs. The dates of the datasets vary and are specified separately under each section.
This figure does not include those under temporary protection or international protection; it shows only residence permit holders. Approximately one in every two people lives in Istanbul.
Residence Permits
It has more than sevenfold over the past twenty years. The decline in 2020 reflects the pandemic period, while the drop in 2023–2024 reflects tighter leave policies; it begins to rise again starting in 2025.
By Year
The highest level was recorded in 2022 with 1,354,094 people. The current number is at 94 percent of that level.
By type of leave
The 20 Provinces with the Largest Foreign Resident Populations
- 1.Istanbul608,944
- 2.Antalya150,099
- 3.Ankara79,366
- 4.Bursa49,770
- 5.Mersin47,437
- 6.Izmir33,377
- 7.Muğla28,376
- 8.Kocaeli19,235
- 9.Sakarya16,906
- 10.Konya16,597
- 11.Yalova12,979
- 12.Gaziantep11,969
- 13.Eskişehir10,624
- 14.Aydın10,301
- 15.Tekirdağ9,448
- 16.Kayseri9,130
- 17.Samsun8,914
- 18.Karabük8,412
- 19.Balıkesir7,686
- 20.Edirne7,429
Istanbul alone accounts for %47.8 of residence permits. The top three provinces (Istanbul, Antalya, and Ankara) together account for %65.8 of the total.
The 10 nationalities with the most residence permits
- 1.Turkmenistan205,373
- 2.Azerbaijan98,220
- 3.Syria87,125
- 4.Russian Federation78,820
- 5.Iran76,526
- 6.Uzbekistan71,350
- 7.Afghanistan65,535
- 8.Iraq53,865
- 9.Kazakhstan46,105
- 10.Egypt44,006
Source: Presidency of Migration Management · August 27, 2026
Nationalities by type of permit
These same countries do not rank in the same order for every type of visa. Turkmenistan is far ahead in student visas, while Syria leads in short-term visas.
Student Residence Permit
- 1.Turkmenistan59,372
- 2.Iran26,147
- 3.Azerbaijan19,973
- 4.Uzbekistan12,542
- 5.Kazakhstan9,398
- 6.Egypt6,692
- 7.Pakistan5,624
- 8.Iraq5,601
- 9.Syria5,374
- 10.Afghanistan5,079
Short-term residence permit
- 1.Syria64,513
- 2.Turkmenistan53,523
- 3.Iraq38,590
- 4.Russian Federation35,543
- 5.Azerbaijan29,115
- 6.Egypt27,712
- 7.Iran26,694
- 8.Ukraine21,297
- 9.Palestine14,467
- 10.Afghanistan14,299
Source: Presidency of Migration Management · August 27, 2026
Entry into and Exit from Turkey
Crossings at border checkpoints. The sharp decline in 2020 was due to pandemic-related lockdowns; the subsequent increase was the result of a return to normalcy.
Admissions and Graduations by Year
The 10 Countries with the Most Entries in 2023
- 1.Russian Federation6,220,071
- 2.Germany6,096,399
- 3.England3,657,436
- 4.Bulgaria2,884,078
- 5.Iran2,504,276
- 6.Georgia1,632,820
- 7.Poland1,516,546
- 8.Netherlands1,207,815
- 9.Iraq1,052,822
- 10.France996,728
Source: Presidency of Migration Management · End of 2023
Applications for international protection
The number of applications has been steadily declining since its 2018 peak. This data is separate from residence permit statistics; the two groups are not counted as part of each other.
Applications by Year
Nationalities of applicants in 2025
- 1.Afghanistan3,472
- 2.Iraq1,463
- 3.Iran585
- 4.Other910
Comparison: EU and EFTA countries (End of 2022)
- 1.Germany243,835
- 2.France156,455
- 3.Spain117,945
- 4.Austria112,245
- 5.Italy84,290
- 6.Greece37,375
- 7.Netherlands37,020
- 8.Belgium36,740
Since the comparison involves different years, it would not be accurate to make a direct comparison; the table is included solely to give a sense of scale.
Source: Presidency of Migration Management · End of 2025
About This Page
All data is taken from official statistics published by the Presidency of Migration Management of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Turkey. The figures have not been fabricated or interpreted; the captions below the graphs are intended to aid in interpreting the data. The dates of the datasets vary and are specified separately at the bottom of each section. The page is updated when new statistics are published.