Life expectancy in Türkiye tops 78 years: TÜİK

ANKARA

Life expectancy at birth in Türkiye has increased to 78.1 years in the 2022–2024 period, up from 77.3 years in the previous three-year term, according to the country’s official statistics office.

This metric refers to the average number of years a newborn is expected to live, assuming they are subject to current mortality conditions throughout their life.

The figures, published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on July 30, confirm a long-standing trend: Women continue to outlive men by a significant margin.

Life expectancy for women rose to 80.7 years during the period, compared to 75.5 years for men, marking a gender gap of 5.2 years and highlighting enduring gender disparities in health and longevity.

The data further revealed that the average healthy life expectancy, the number of years a person is expected to live without limitations due to health problems, was 57.6 years overall.

For men, this figure was 58.9 years, and for women, 56.3 years.

Despite women living longer overall, men were expected to live more years in good health, with a 2.6-year advantage.

Beyond birth, the statistics also shed light on how many more years individuals at different stages of life can expect to live.

For example, someone entering adulthood or middle age can still anticipate several decades ahead, with women consistently enjoying a longer remaining lifespan than their male counterparts.

The study also found a clear link between education level and life expectancy.

Those with higher educational attainment are likely to live longer than individuals with lower levels of education, according to data.

Among 30-year-olds, the life expectancy difference between people with less than secondary education and those with higher education was around five years for both genders.

According to earlier TÜİK data, while Türkiye still has a relatively young demographic structure compared to other aging nations, its elderly population is growing at a fast rate, with the U.N. classifying it as a country “with a very elderly population."