The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has released its annual "Statistics on Families 2024" bulletin, revealing ongoing demographic shifts in household structures across Türkiye, including smaller average household sizes, regional differences in family types and trends in marriage and child custody.
According to data from the Address-Based Population Registration System (ADNKS), the average household size in Türkiye has declined steadily over the past decade and a half, falling from 4 persons in 2008 to 3.11 in 2024. This trend reflects broader societal changes, including urbanization, economic factors, and evolving lifestyles.
The southeastern province of Şırnak recorded the highest average household size at 4.85 persons, followed by Şanlıurfa (4.63) and Batman (4.5). In contrast, the lowest averages were seen in Giresun and Çanakkale, both at 2.53, followed by Tunceli (2.55) and Eskişehir (2.59).
The data also highlight a growing number of individuals living alone. In 2016, 14.9% of all households in Türkiye consisted of single-person arrangements. By 2024, this figure had risen to 20%. Gümüşhane had the highest proportion of single-person households at 31.7%, followed by Tunceli (29.8%) and Giresun (29.7%). Batman recorded the lowest proportion at 11.1%.
Meanwhile, nuclear families, defined as a household consisting only of spouses, with or without children, or a single parent with children, have decreased in prevalence. Their share fell from 66.4% in 2016 to 63.5% in 2024. Extended families, which include additional relatives or non-family members, also declined from 16.3% to 13.3% during the same period.
Extended family households remain most common in Hakkari, eastern Türkiye, where they account for 20.3% of all households. Batman and Bartın followed with 18.7% and 17.9%, respectively. The lowest rates were seen in Eskişehir (9.2%), Ankara (10.1%) and Çanakkale (10.1%).
As of 2024, 10.9% of all households in Türkiye consist of single-parent families. Of these, 8.4% are headed by mothers and 2.6% by fathers. Bingöl, eastern Türkiye, had the highest proportion of single-parent households at 13.5%, followed by Elazığ (13.4%) and Adana (13.1%). Ardahan (8%), Yozgat (8.5%), and Burdur, Kars and Bitlis (each at 8.6%) had the lowest figures.
Bingöl also had the highest rate of households composed of mothers and children (10.6%), while Kilis had the highest share of father-child households (3.9%).
In 2024, 42.8% of Türkiye’s households had at least one child aged 0-17. Şanlıurfa, southeastern Türkiye, topped the list with 68.5% of households including children, whereas Tunceli had the lowest figure at 28.2%.
There are now 6.7 million households with at least one resident aged 65 or older. Elderly individuals living alone account for 1.75 million of these, representing a growing segment of the population.
Additionally, among 3.37 million unmarried individuals aged 25-29, nearly 73% still reside with at least one parent, highlighting economic and cultural factors influencing household formation.
The rate of cousin marriages has gradually decreased nationwide. In 2010, cousin marriages accounted for 5.9% of all registered marriages. This figure dropped to 4% in 2019 and 3.3% in 2024. However, regional differences remain stark. The highest rate was recorded in Şanlıurfa at 16.9%, followed by Siirt (12.6%) and Mardin (12.4%). The lowest rates were in Artvin (0.2%), Kırklareli (0.5%) and Edirne (0.5%).
Of all cousin marriages, 46.4% were between individuals who were the children of an uncle or aunt on the mother's side, 27.2% between paternal uncles’ children and 26.4% with maternal aunts’ children.
According to data from the Ministry of Family and Social Services, most child custody decisions following separation continue to favor mothers. This trend reflects both cultural norms and legal precedents.
The Life Satisfaction Survey for 2024 revealed that 72.9% of respondents consider their family to be their main source of happiness. This was followed by children (13.2%), oneself (4.2%), spouses (3.4%), parents (3%) and grandchildren (1.9%).
In a sobering statistic, Türkiye has 345,164 children who have lost at least one parent. As of 2024, 5,276 children had lost both parents; 258,515 had lost their fathers; and 81,373 had lost their mothers. These figures underscore the importance of social support systems for vulnerable populations.
