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indicator value unit
Population 82.3 mil.
Visitors per year 37.7 mil.
Renewable energy 10.2 %

How’s Life?

Türkiye has made considerable progress in improving the quality of life of its citizens over the last two decades. Notwithstanding, Türkiye performs well in a limited number of dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. It underperforms average in jobs, work-life balance, education, health, environmental quality, social connections and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Türkiye, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is less than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.

In terms of employment, about 48% of people aged 15 to 64 in Türkiye have a paid job, below the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 65% of men are in paid work, compared with 30% of women. In Türkiye, 25% of employees work very long hours in paid work, well above the OECD average of 10%, with 27% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 20% of women.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Türkiye, 42% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, lower than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 45% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 38% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 462 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is lower than the OECD average of 488. On average in Türkiye, girls outperformed boys by 9 points, above the average OECD gap of 5 points.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Türkiye is around 79 years, two years lower than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 81 years, compared with 76 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 27.1 micrograms per cubic meter, above the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In Türkiye, 62% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, lower than the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a moderate sense of community and high levels of civic participation in Türkiye, where 85% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, less than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 86% during recent elections, higher than the OECD average of 69%, and reflects the practice of compulsory voting in Türkiye. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 87% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 84%.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Turks gave it a 4.9 grade on average, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.

 

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

 

 

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OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Turkey

OECD’s periodic surveys of the Turkish economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.

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Türkiye in Detail