POPULATION

   All censuses carried out before the republican era had certain shortcomings. A systematic census to meet the social, economic and military requirements of Turkey was begun in 1927, which was followed by the of 1935 and henceforth held every five years.
   One of the most important problems created by the First World War and the National War of Liberation which followed, has been the population problem. The population of the Turkish State was estimated at 12,5 million in 1923 and under political considerations measures were sought to increase the population. Births were encouraged, abortion was considered a crime under the Penal Code and medical ways were sought to reduce death rates , attaching more importance to public health. Thus the birth rate outstripped the death rate, and this was the main factor in the population increase.
   The population structure of Tırkey is of a young and dynamic nature.

Taksim Square

1985 census

   The State Statistics Institute released the following figures obtained from the 1985 census in Turkey's 67 provinces, which consist of 572 counties and 36.155 villages and districts:
   The total population is 51.470.000, of which 50 % is under the age of 20. The annual population increase has been established at 2.8 %.