2024 sees surge in both marriages and divorces in Türkiye, stats reveal
A bustling scene on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul. (IHA Photo)
The Turkish Statistical Authority (TURKSTAT) released the country’s 2024 marriage and divorce statistics, with divorces rising sharply and marriages seeing a slight increase.
In 2024, the number of couples who got married reached 568,395. This represents a slight increase from 2023, when the number of marriages was 567,011. The crude marriage rate, which measures the number of marriages per 1,000 people, stood at 6.65 per thousand in 2024.
Regarding divorce, 2024 saw a rise in the number of divorces, with 187,343 couples officially ending their marriages. This is a significant increase from 2023, which recorded 173,342 divorces.
The crude divorce rate, expressing the number of divorces per 1,000 people, was 2.19 per thousand in 2024.
The average age at first marriage has increased over the years for both men and women. In 2024, the mean age for men to marry for the first time was 28.3 years, while for women, it was 25.8 years.
The difference in the mean age at first marriage between men and women stood at 2.5 years.
Foreign brides and grooms
The year 2024 also saw a significant number of foreign individuals entering into marriages within the country. The number of foreign grooms totaled 5,923, which accounted for 1.0% of all grooms.
Meanwhile, the number of foreign brides was considerably higher, at 29,115, representing 5.1% of all brides.
Looking at foreign grooms by citizenship, Syrian grooms made up the largest group, at 20.6%, followed by German grooms (19.5%) and Afghan grooms (5.7%). As for foreign brides, Syrian and Uzbek women are the most common nationalities, each accounting for 12.1% of foreign brides.
Moroccan brides followed with 8.3%, and Azerbaijani brides made up 7.5%.
Children affected by divorce
In 2024, a total of 186,536 children were affected by divorce, as a result of 187,343 divorces. The vast majority of these children were placed in the custody of their mothers.
Specifically, 74.4% of children were given to their mothers, while 25.6% were placed in the custody of their fathers.
These statistics provide a snapshot of marriage and divorce trends in 2024, highlighting the evolving nature of relationships, regional differences, and the impact on children.
