Middle East
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
| Population | 69,660,559 (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.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 41.04 deaths/1,000 live births male: 44.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 37.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |