The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has released its annual "Women in Statistics, 2024" report, providing a comprehensive analysis of demographic trends, education, employment and gender disparities in Türkiye. The findings, compiled from census data, research and administrative records, were published in recognition of International Women's Day on March 8.
According to the report, Türkiye's total population is nearly evenly split between genders, with women comprising 49.98% (42,811,834 individuals) and men making up 50.02% (42,853,110 individuals). However, this balance shifts with age due to women's longer life expectancy. Among individuals aged 60-74, women account for 52% of the population, a figure that rises to 69.1% among those aged 90 and above.
Life expectancy at birth for the 2021-2023 period was recorded at 77.3 years in Türkiye, with women expected to live 80 years on average, compared to 74.7 years for men. The gender gap in life expectancy stands at 5.3 years in favor of women. However, when considering the number of years a person is expected to live without health problems restricting daily activities, known as healthy life expectancy, men have an advantage. The healthy life expectancy in Türkiye for the same period was 57.6 years, with 56.3 years for women and 59 years for men.
The report highlights significant improvements in education levels among women over the past 15 years. In 2008, 67.5% of women aged 25 and above had completed at least one level of education. By 2023, this rate had risen to 87.8%, while the percentage for men increased from 82.8% to 96.8% in the same period. The average duration of education for women aged 25 and above also increased from 6.4 years in 2011 to 8.6 years in 2023, while for men, it rose from 8.3 years to 10.1 years.
Higher education attainment also saw notable gains. The proportion of individuals aged 25 and over with a university degree, master’s or doctoral qualification increased from 9.1% in 2008 to 24.4% in 2023. By gender, 7.1% of women had higher education degrees in 2008, compared to 11.2% of men. In 2023, these rates increased to 22.7% for women and 26.2% for men.
Despite improvements in education, women’s participation in the workforce remains substantially lower than that of men. In 2023, the labor force participation rate for individuals aged 15 and above was 53.3%, with 35.8% for women and 71.2% for men. However, the data reveals that education significantly impacts women's employment. Among women with a higher education degree, the labor force participation rate was 68.9%, compared to just 13.8% for illiterate women.
Women in Türkiye continue to face income disparities in the workforce. The gender pay gap, calculated as the percentage difference between men’s and women’s earnings relative to men’s wages, is most pronounced among higher education graduates, where it reaches 17.4%. Among individuals with primary school or lower education, the pay gap is narrower at 13.2%.
The report also highlights the prevalence of part-time work among women. In 2023, 16.1% of employed women worked part-time, compared to 7.3% of men. Additionally, among individuals aged 25-49 with children under three years old, the employment rate was 27.1% for women, while for men, it stood at 90.1%.
The representation of women in leadership positions has improved but still lags behind men. The proportion of female ambassadors increased from 11.9% in 2011 to 26.9% in 2024. In the political sphere, women now make up 19.9% of Türkiye’s Parliament, with 118 female Parliament members among a total of 593 members. This marks a notable increase from 9.1% in 2007.
Women’s representation in academia has also grown. In the 2010-2011 academic year, female professors constituted 27.6% of the total, a figure that rose to 34.6% by the 2023-2024 academic year. The proportion of female associate professors also increased, from 32.2% to 42.1% over the same period.
