Motorcycle numbers surpass cars in five Turkish provinces: TurkStat

The number of registered motorcycles in Türkiye hit a record 6.33 million in February, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). In five provinces—Aydin, Kilis, Manisa, Mugla, and Igdir—the number of motorcycles has now surpassed the number of cars.

Motorcycle usage is widespread in Anatolia, especially due to the region’s rugged terrain and agricultural production. Motorcycles have also become a more common mode of transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the rise of home delivery services in major cities.

According to data from TurkStat, as of last month, the total number of motor vehicles registered for traffic in Türkiye stood at 31.6 million. This included:

• 16.41 million cars
• 526,100 minibuses
• 214, 230 buses
• 4.74 million light trucks
• 1.01 million trucks
• 6. 33 million motorcycles
• 103,524 special-purpose vehicles
• 2.27 million tractors

Istanbul has the most motorcycles

When looking at the motorcycle figures by province, Istanbul leads with 811,333 motorcycles, followed by Antalya with 498,237, and Izmir with 470,164.

Kilis has almost 3 times as many motorcycles as cars

In Kilis, 13,370 cars are registered, while motorcycles total 38,431. Similarly, in Aydin, there are 228,601 motorcycles, surpassing the 227,947 cars. Manisa has 302,690 motorcycles compared to 263,306 cars, Mugla has 289,104 motorcycles against 267,341 cars, and in Igdir, 11,643 motorcycles outnumber the 7,782 cars.

As motorcycle use continues to grow across Türkiye, these figures highlight a notable shift in transportation patterns, particularly in rural and agricultural regions where motorcycles are a practical, more affordable solution for mobility.