Labor force, total in Turkey
Turkey: Labor force, total was 36.88 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Turkey, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, total in Turkey stood at 36.88 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Turkey peaked at 36.88 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 20.21 million, in 1993.
Turkey ranks 18th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total in Turkey, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 20.35 million | — |
| 1991 | 21.02 million | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 21.16 million | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 20.21 million | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 21.72 million | +7.5% |
| 1995 | 22.05 million | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 22.43 million | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 22.47 million | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 23.09 million | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 23.56 million | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 22.80 million | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 23.21 million | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 23.54 million | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 23.37 million | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 22.78 million | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 23.21 million | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 23.50 million | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 23.64 million | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 24.41 million | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 25.41 million | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 26.45 million | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 27.58 million | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 28.13 million | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 29.15 million | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 29.52 million | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 30.55 million | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 31.51 million | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 32.54 million | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 33.30 million | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 33.69 million | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 31.77 million | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 33.49 million | +5.4% |
| 2022 | 35.08 million | +4.8% |
| 2023 | 35.55 million | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 36.41 million | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 36.88 million | +1.3% |
Turkey compared with similar countries
- Turkey's 36.88 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.32 million, 11.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Turkey's 36.88 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.31 million, 11.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.81 million | 20.21 million | 23.56 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.59 million | 22.78 million | 25.41 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.24 million | 26.45 million | 33.69 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.86 million | 31.77 million | 36.88 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Turkey
More education data for Turkey
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 788,294 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 184,302 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.05 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 980,973 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 12.31 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.54 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0649 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Turkey?
- Labor force, total in Turkey was 36.88 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Turkey?
- The highest recorded value was 36.88 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Turkey?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.21 million in 1993.
- How does Turkey rank for labor force, total?
- Turkey ranks 18th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Turkey?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Turkey data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.