The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has published the "Internal Migration Statistics" bulletin for 2024.
The statistics show that the rate of the population migrating between provinces, which was 3.18% in 2008, showed fluctuations over the years and reached 3.13% in 2024. A total of 2,682,673 people migrated between provinces in Türkiye last year. Of this population, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.
Examining the distribution of interprovincial migrants, Istanbul was the province that received the highest number of migrants, with 395,485 individuals. Istanbul was followed by Ankara, with 202,402 and Izmir with 117,889 migrants. The provinces with the lowest number of incoming migrants were Ardahan, with 4,570; Bayburt, with 5,644; and Tunceli, with 6,739.
On the other hand, Istanbul was also the province that sent out the most migrants, with 369,453 people leaving the city. It was followed by Ankara, with 150,373 migrants and Izmir, with 102,040 migrants. The provinces that sent out the fewest migrants were Ardahan with 6,441, Kilis with 8,041 and Bayburt with 8,639.
The highest migration activity occurred in the 20-24 age group, with 549,043 people moving. Among this age group, 41.9% were men and 58.1% were women.
Of the 2,682,673 people who migrated between provinces in 2024, 579,507 moved due to dependency on a household member. Other reasons for migration included 512,370 people relocating for better housing and living conditions and 479,622 people moving for educational purposes.
When analyzed by gender, the primary reason for migration among men was better housing and living conditions, with 255,846 people, while for women, it was migration dependent on a household member, accounting for 343,342 people. Other important reasons among men included migration dependent on a household member and job transfers or job changes, whereas for women, education and better housing and living conditions were significant causes.
Examining the reasons for migration within the 20-24 age group, which had the highest migration activity, education was identified as the leading cause. Among migrants in this age group, 209,040 moved for educational purposes, 84,328 for employment opportunities and 44,319 for better housing and living conditions.
Additionally, following the earthquake on Feb. 6, 2023, those who moved to another province but later returned to their previous residences before the earthquake are classified under the category "returning to family or hometown."
