Total savings deposits in Turkey climbed 24.6% in the first half of the year from the same period of 2018, while per capita savings increased to TL 15,778.

Overall savings increased to TL 1.3 trillion in the January-June period, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) and Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK).

With a population of 82 million last year, average per capita savings increased by TL 3,115 in the first half of the year, compared to the same period of 2018, to TL 15,778. The same figure was TL 12,663 in the first six months of last year.

The country's most populous city, Istanbul, led the way with average per capita savings of TL 36,786, followed by Ankara with TL 23,310, Muğla with TL 22,859, İzmir with TL 20,817 and Antalya with TL 17,930. Thus, per capita savings in five provinces remained higher than the national average.

Meanwhile, per capita savings in 29 other provinces, including Tunceli, Yalova, Uşak, Denizli, Aydın, Eskişehir, Edirne, Balıkesir, Kırklareli, Trabzon, Bursa, Nevşehir, Zonguldak, Isparta, Çanakkale, Mersin, Kırşehir, Aksaray, Adana, Kocaeli, Tekirdağ, Burdur, Hatay and Bartın, exceeded TL 10,000.

Some 42.8% of total savings deposits in Turkey were accumulated in Istanbul. The city, hosting more than 15 million people, collected TL 554.3 billion in savings deposits between January and June.

In Istanbul, which had TL 448.3 billion in savings deposits as of the first half of last year, the collected amount surged by 23.7% year-on-year in the last one-year period, an increase of TL 7,053 in per capita savings.

With regard to savings deposits, Istanbul was followed by Ankara with TL 128.3 billion, İzmir with TL 89.9 billion and Antalya with TL 43.5 billion.