Turks are leaving, foreigners are arriving: Here is the striking migration picture of the 'Century of Turkey'

The debates surrounding the "brain drain" and demographic shifts that have been increasing in Turkey in recent years have once again been laid bare by international migration statistics. Official data covering the years 2017-2024 proves that Turkish citizens are leaving the country in large waves, while a massive foreign population is settling in Turkey. The summary of this period, which the political leadership calls the "Century of Turkey," as reflected in the figures, is quite clear: Turks are leaving, foreigners are arriving.

OVER 1 MILLION TURKISH CITIZENS LEFT THE COUNTRY IN 8 YEARS

The emerging picture painfully confirms that qualified labor and young people are turning abroad due to concerns about the future. According to the data, a total of 1 million 98 thousand 400 Turkish citizens left Turkey between 2017 and 2024. While the number of citizens returning to Turkey in the same period remained at 833 thousand 329, the total net migration was reflected in the balance sheet as minus 265 thousand 71 (-265,071).

The year 2023, in particular, went down in history as the year when brain drain reached its peak. In 2023 alone, 291 thousand 377 Turkish citizens left the country, and the net migration for that year was minus 189 thousand 700. This bleeding did not stop in 2024, and 151 thousand 140 more of our citizens broke away from their country. According to the latest information, the 2025 data does not offer much hope either; it is stated that the needle is already pointing to a net outward migration of 64 thousand.

FOREIGNERS FILL THE VOID LEFT BY THOSE DEPARTING: AN INCREASE OF NEARLY 1 MILLION

While Turkish citizens are migrating to Western countries in search of better living conditions, economic crises, and debates over meritocracy, the "Foreign Nationals" section of the table shows the other side of the coin. In the same 8-year period, the net migration of foreign nationals to Turkey reached a massive positive figure of 969 thousand 409.

In particular, 333 thousand foreign nationals made a net entry into Turkey in 2019, and a record level of 431 thousand in 2021. Although there have been partial declines and exits in foreign migration in 2023 and 2024, the cumulative total formed since 2017 reveals how sharp the change in Turkey's demographic structure is.

News Source: 12punto