Türkiye’s population of elderly citizens has reached 9,583,059, surpassing the combined populations of 98 countries, including Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia and New Zealand, according to data compiled from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
The latest figures show that people aged 65 and older make up 11.1% of Türkiye’s 86 million population. Globally, elderly individuals represent 10.4% of the world’s 8.23 billion people.
The country’s growing elderly population is now larger than that of Denmark, Armenia, Ireland, Israel, Switzerland, Iceland, Serbia and New Zealand.
China remains the country with the largest elderly population, with 211 million people, followed by India (108 million) and the U.S. (64 million). The highest proportion of elderly residents relative to the total population is in Monaco at 36%, while Qatar has the lowest at 1.7%.
Professor Mehmet Ali Eryurt of Hacettepe University’s Institute of Population Studies highlighted that Türkiye’s aging process is progressing much faster than in European countries, partly due to advancements in health care.
“Currently, one in every 10 people in Türkiye is over 65. The health system has improved life expectancy, but the pace of aging is striking,” he said.
Eryurt emphasized that the rise in the elderly population will increase demands on health care and social security systems. Longer retirement periods combined with a declining number of contributing workers also pose challenges for financial sustainability.
At the same time, the growing elderly demographic is creating new economic opportunities, known as the “silver economy.” This sector focuses on products and services tailored to the needs, lifestyles and consumption habits of older adults. “Countries now recognize the silver economy as a driver of growth,” Eryurt noted.
He added that flexible and part-time work models could help older adults remain active in the workforce, while volunteer and mentorship programs can enable knowledge transfer from older generations to younger ones, reinforcing the value of wisdom and experience in society.
