The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) reported an increase in marriages in Türkiye, with the total number rising by 1,384 in one year. In 2024, the crude marriage rate was recorded at 6.65 per 1,000 people.
The divorce rate also saw an uptick, rising from 173,342 in the previous year to 187,343 in 2024. The crude divorce rate, which measures the number of divorces per 1,000 people, was calculated at 2.19 per thousand.
Adıyaman recorded the highest crude marriage rate in 2024, with 7.76 marriages per thousand people, followed closely by Gaziantep (7.68) and Kilis (7.66). On the other end, Tunceli had the lowest crude marriage rate at 4.01 per thousand, with Gümüşhane and Bayburt following at 4.3 and 4.89, respectively.
As per the crude divorce rate, Antalya records the highest numbers. In 2024, the city recorded the highest crude divorce rate at 3.29 per thousand, followed by Izmir at 3.09 per thousand and Karaman at 3.04 per thousand. The lowest crude divorce rate was recorded in Hakkari at 0.45 per thousand, followed by Şırnak at 0.55 per thousand and Siirt and Muş at 0.6 per thousand each.
Divorce statistics revealed that 33.7% of divorces occurred within the first five years of marriage, while 21.3% took place between the sixth and 10th years of marriage.
Following finalized divorce proceedings, custody was granted to 186,536 children, with the majority being assigned to their mothers. In 2024, 74.4% of children were granted custody to their mothers, while 25.6% were placed under the custody of their fathers.
The share of foreign spouses was also analyzed. Statistics showed that in 2024, there were 5,923 foreign grooms, making up 1% of all grooms. Syrians led with 20.6%, followed by Germans (19.5%) and Afghans (5.7%). Meanwhile, foreign brides totaled 29,115, accounting for 5.1% of all brides. Syrians and Uzbeks tied for the top spot at 12.1% each, followed by Moroccans (8.3%) and Azerbaijanis (7.5%).
In addition, an analysis of the average age at first marriage over the years showed a slight increase for both genders. In 2024, the average age at first marriage was 28.3 for men and 25.8 for women, with an average age gap of 2.5 years between spouses.
