The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) recently published data concerning the "Possible Education Duration" for the years 2018-2022. This data projects the estimated time an individual in Türkiye, starting in primary school at the appropriate age, will spend in education until achieving the highest level, indicating a calculation of 18.2 years for the year 2022. For those aiming to complete secondary education, the expected duration is 12.7 years.
The "Possible Education Duration" refers to the anticipated number of years an individual embarking on their educational journey in primary school is likely to invest in their education.
Analysis of the data also revealed that within the preschool sector, the possible education period has increased from 1.2 years in 2018 to 1.6 years in 2022. This represents a significant rise of 32.5% in the possible duration of preschool education between 2018 and 2022.
At the provincial level, the highest possible education period was recorded in Istanbul, standing at 20.3 years. Following closely were Karabük with 20.1 years, Ankara with 19.9 years, Bayburt with 19.6 years and Rize with 19.5 years. Conversely, the provinces with the lowest possible education period were Şanlıurfa and Muş with 15.2 years, followed by Şırnak, Ağrı and Mardin.
When examining the data for changes between 2018 and 2022, the provinces that witnessed the most significant increases in the possible education period included Çankırı with 8.2%, Gümüşhane with 5.8%, Ağrı with 5.2%, Van with 5% and Ardahan with 3.5%. Conversely, the provinces that experienced the greatest decreases in the possible education period during the same period were Eskişehir and Antalya with 7.2%, Düzce and Isparta with 6.8%, and Karabük and Edirne with 6.3%.
In 2022, the possible education timeframe across Türkiye was estimated at 18.3 years for women and 18.1 years for men. Istanbul boasted the highest possible education duration for both genders. For men, it was followed by Bayburt, Karabük, Ankara and Erzurum, while the rankings for women included Karabük, Ankara, Eskişehir and Artvin.
The province with the lowest possible education period for men was Ağrı, followed by Şırnak, Muş, Şanlıurfa and Iğdır. On the other hand, the provinces with the lowest education period for women were Şanlıurfa, Muş, Şırnak, Bitlis and Siirt.
The gender equality index, calculated based on the ratio of women to men, was determined as 1.01 in 2022, up from 0.97 in 2018, indicating a 0.04-point increase in favor of women over the past five years.
The top five provinces with the highest gender equality index in 2022 were Çanakkale with 1.07, Bilecik, and Izmir with 1.06, and Zonguldak and Edirne with 1.05.
Conversely, the provinces with the lowest gender equality index included Siirt with 0.88, Bitlis, and Şanlıurfa with 0.90, Muş with 0.92, and Batman with 0.93.
These "Possible Years of Education" serve as crucial indicators in studies such as the Human Development Index, the Gender Development Index and the Multidimensional Poverty Index, which are calculated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Furthermore, UNESCO publishes this data as an international education indicator, contributing to global research and policy development in the field of education.