How is life going in Turkey?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) "How's Life? 2024" report evaluates the quality of life and well-being in 41 countries, including the 38 OECD member states. The analysis measures the quality of life in these countries based on 80 different indicators related to 11 dimensions and 4 sources of future well-being. The 2024 report was prepared by the OECD Centre for Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity and  was published under the title "WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE IN TIMES OF CRISIS". was published under the title "WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE IN TIMES OF CRISIS". 

The OECD report revealed that people living in Turkey are not satisfied with their lives. While Turkey ranked last among 41 countries in life satisfaction and gender inequality, it ranked 34th in education and 3rd from the bottom among OECD countries in air pollution.  A major problem is evident in food access. In Turkey, 20% of 15-year-old students stated that they had not been able to eat at all for at least one day in the last 30 days, while this rate is 8% in OECD countries. 

The 11 dimensions used to measure well-being relate to material conditions that shape people's economic options (income and wealth, jobs and job quality, housing) and quality of life factors that cover how well people are (and how well they feel), what they know and what they can do, and how healthy and safe the places they live in are (health, knowledge and skills, environmental quality, subjective well-being, safety). 

You can access the full report on the OECD website (https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/how-s-life-2024_90ba854a-en.html). In the report, I have attempted to summarize Turkey's performance in some of the prominent indicators below. 

1. Life Satisfaction and Social Justice

Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their lives as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale of 0 to 10,  the Turkish public gave an average score of 4.9,which is much lower than the OECD average of 6.7  and has resulted in Turkey ranking 41st, one of the lowest satisfaction scores in the OECD. Turkey, in the social injustice ranking, is in the second to last position and stands out as one of the two countries with the highest levels of social injustice. 

2. Education and Gender Inequality

According to PISA reports, the average student in Turkey scored 462 in mathematics and science, falling below the OECD average of 488, and with this score Turkey ranks 34th among 41 OECD countries, placing it seventh from the bottom. In the area of gender inequality, Turkey ranks 41st out of 41 countries, placing it in last place. 

3. Access to Food 

In OECD countries, 8% of 15-year-old students reported that they did not eat for at least one day in the last 30 days because they did not have enough money to buy food.. Food insecurity negatively affects not only the physical health of students but also their school performance, educational opportunities, and overall quality of life.

The percentage of 15-year-old students who reported that they did not eat for at least one day in the past 30 days because they did not have enough money to buy food is highest in Turkey. Unfortunately, almost one in five students in our country has to go to school hungry at least one day a week.

4. Air Pollution

Turkey, PM2.5 (particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lungs) levels per cubic meter 27.1 micrograms with It ranks 39th out of 41 OECD countries, placing it third from the bottom. This value is well above the annual guideline limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization. 

5. Average Life Expectancy 

Among OECD countries, Turkey recorded one of the largest gains in life expectancy between 1960 and 2008, achieving an overall increase of 25 years and rapidly narrowing the gap with the OECD average.  Life in Turkey  expectancy is approximately two years lower than the OECD average of 81 years, standing at 78.6 years, which places Turkey 31st among 41 OECD countries.

6. Household Net Wealth

Household net wealth is the total value of a household's financial and non-financial assets, such as money held in bank accounts, stocks, valuables, and other non-financial assets. In Turkey,  average household net wealth,  is well below the OECD average of 323,960 US Dollars, and this result places Turkey 37th among 41 OECD countries.

7. Employment Rate

In Turkey,  47.52% of the working-age population between 15 and 64 years old is employed in a paid job. This figure is much lower than the OECD employment average of 66% and this result places Turkey 40th among 41 OECD countries. Furthermore, the issue of "youth not in education, employment, or training" is at a significant level in Turkey. The percentage of "young people (15-24 years old) not in employment, education, or training (NEET)" is at its highest rate in Turkey.

8. Long Working Hours

An important aspect of work-life balance is the time a person spends at work. Evidence shows that long working hours can impair personal health, jeopardize safety, and increase stress. However, in Turkey,  approximately 25%  of employees work very long hours in paid jobs; this  is one of the highest rates in the OECD, where the average is 10%, and this result places Turkey 40th among 41 OECD countries.

Conclusion and Evaluation

Money does not always bring happiness, but it remains an important tool for achieving higher living standards. While economic growth performance and per capita income levels are significant in the development process of countries, development indicators such as access to quality education, the ability to lead a long and healthy life, gender equality, and freedom are also emphasized, forming one of the top agenda items for national and international organizations. 

The OECD's "How's Life? 2024" report reveals that people living in Turkey are not satisfied with their lives.In data comparing developments since 2019 to understand the impact of the cost-of-living crisis experienced globally following the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkey's ranking is not very encouraging.  Ranking last among 41 countries in life satisfaction and gender inequality, 34th in education, and 3rd from the bottom among OECD countries in air pollution, Turkey is in need of improvement in many areas regarding quality of life and welfare levels. 

The fact that Turkey ranks low in critical areas such as life satisfaction, social justice, gender inequality, and education indicates that comprehensive policies need to be developed in these areas. Furthermore, the presence of negative data regarding basic living conditions, such as access to food and air pollution, makes it imperative to review public health and environmental policies. 

Turkey's lagging behind OECD averages in economic and health indicators, such as average life expectancy and net household wealth, necessitates steps toward increasing economic prosperity and improving healthcare services. Meanwhile, low employment rates and long working hours highlight the importance of implementing reforms in the labor market.

In light of this data, it is of great importance to implement comprehensive and sustainable policies to improve the quality of life in Turkey and to rise to higher rankings among OECD countries. A higher level of prosperity or development should be built and made more inclusive and sustainable through higher income, along with better education, healthcare, justice, environment, and other socio-economic conditions. 

In increasing the level and performance of development in Turkey, particularly regarding gender equality,  policies for sustainable, inclusive growth and development that are human-centered, provide equal opportunity, enhance human capital and quality of life, and focus on the poor should be implemented. For middle-income countries like Turkey, the most effective method for poverty reduction is the redistribution of existing income. In this context, it is important for Turkey to increase human capital by redistributing funds—both those allocated through fiscal policy tools and those provided by international organizations—in favor of the poor, taking into account its own priorities and shortcomings.

The calculations made in the OECD report reflect the average prosperity and quality of life in a country.   However, these results may vary according to regions, ethnic origin, income groups, gender, and urban-rural distinctions within the country. Calculations that take these differences into account will provide data for both international funding agencies and relevant national decision-makers on where, in which areas, to whom, how, and at what level funds should be provided, thereby contributing to the implementation of selective policies. At the same time, by revealing the differences in development levels between countries, nations will be ranked based on more objective criteria, and the socio-economic policies to be implemented will be determined.

HOW DO YOU THINK LIFE IS GOING IN TURKEY?