General

The Turkish population is relatively young with over a quarter falling within the (0-14) age bracket. Life expectancy stands at 70.2 years for males and 75.2 years for females, for an overall average of 72.6 years for the populace. Due to a demand for an increased labour force in Post-World War II Europe, many Turkish citizens emigrated to Western Europe (particularly West Germany), contributing to the creation of a significant diaspora.

Although the Turks regard the Osmanlis, or Ottomans, as their ancestors, they are a highly composite ethnic mixture. More than three fourths of the population is Turkish; Kurds make up most of the rest. The official language is Turkish, and Kurdish is widely used in the south and southeast; there is also an Arabic-speaking minority. About 99% of the people are Muslim, mostly of the Sunni branch; there is a significant Alawite minority. There are also small groups of Orthodox Christians (Istanbul is the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch) and Jews.

Overview

Population69,660,559 (July 2005 est.)Age structure

0-14 years: 26% (male 9,232,439/female 8,897,135)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 23,806,367/female 23,053,536)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 2,140,242/female 2,530,840) (2005 est.)

Median age
total: 27.7 years
male: 27.52 years
female: 27.89 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate
1.09% (2005 est.)

Birth rate
16.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate
5.96 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)