GeoRealityMatch

The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country. FCDO travel advice, read 29 October 2026.

Discover Ankara's vibrant cityscape with diverse residential architecture and hill backdrop.A beautiful blend of traditional and modern architecture in Ankara, Turkey, under a clear summer sky.

Turkey

Asia · Western Asia

Low safetyAffordable cost of livingVery high development

Human development is high. It is less peaceful than most countries.

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Safety

135th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
2.605lower is more peacefulLow safety
#135 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
3.2per 100,000 people a yearModerateUNODC / World Bank · 2023
Safety index
58.5Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferModerateNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes below the European median

Median disposable income
€6,039per adult, a year, after tax and transfersVery low
Eurostat · 2025
Rent index
13.3New York = 100ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
7.3years of median income to buy a median flatVery affordableNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 133% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 97% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$25K$50K$45,288 PPP$18,599Inflation, % a year80%0200620102015202020252006, $7,990 a person, $13,558 at PPP, inflation 9.6%2007, $9,767 a person, $14,952 at PPP, inflation 8.8%2008, $10,913 a person, $16,142 at PPP, inflation 10.4%2009, $9,077 a person, $15,552 at PPP, inflation 6.3%2010, $10,699 a person, $17,468 at PPP, inflation 8.6%2011, $11,374 a person, $19,717 at PPP, inflation 6.5%2012, $11,777 a person, $20,739 at PPP, inflation 8.9%2013, $12,636 a person, $22,475 at PPP, inflation 7.5%2014, $12,209 a person, $24,193 at PPP, inflation 8.9%2015, $11,065 a person, $25,897 at PPP, inflation 7.7%2016, $10,984 a person, $26,731 at PPP, inflation 7.8%2017, $10,756 a person, $28,354 at PPP, inflation 11.1%2018, $9,684 a person, $28,640 at PPP, inflation 16.3%2019, $9,395 a person, $29,016 at PPP, inflation 15.2%2020, $8,798 a person, $29,209 at PPP, inflation 12.3%2021, $9,982 a person, $32,106 at PPP, inflation 19.6%2022, $10,898 a person, $39,919 at PPP, inflation 72.3%2023, $13,375 a person, $43,196 at PPP, inflation 53.9%2024, $15,893 a person, $45,123 at PPP, inflation 58.5%2025, $18,599 a person, $45,288 at PPP, inflation 34.9%$0$25K$50KInflation, % a year80%0200620102015202020252006, $7,990 a person, $13,558 at PPP, inflation 9.6%2007, $9,767 a person, $14,952 at PPP, inflation 8.8%2008, $10,913 a person, $16,142 at PPP, inflation 10.4%2009, $9,077 a person, $15,552 at PPP, inflation 6.3%2010, $10,699 a person, $17,468 at PPP, inflation 8.6%2011, $11,374 a person, $19,717 at PPP, inflation 6.5%2012, $11,777 a person, $20,739 at PPP, inflation 8.9%2013, $12,636 a person, $22,475 at PPP, inflation 7.5%2014, $12,209 a person, $24,193 at PPP, inflation 8.9%2015, $11,065 a person, $25,897 at PPP, inflation 7.7%2016, $10,984 a person, $26,731 at PPP, inflation 7.8%2017, $10,756 a person, $28,354 at PPP, inflation 11.1%2018, $9,684 a person, $28,640 at PPP, inflation 16.3%2019, $9,395 a person, $29,016 at PPP, inflation 15.2%2020, $8,798 a person, $29,209 at PPP, inflation 12.3%2021, $9,982 a person, $32,106 at PPP, inflation 19.6%2022, $10,898 a person, $39,919 at PPP, inflation 72.3%2023, $13,375 a person, $43,196 at PPP, inflation 53.9%2024, $15,893 a person, $45,123 at PPP, inflation 58.5%2025, $18,599 a person, $45,288 at PPP, inflation 34.9%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Above-average life expectancy

Life expectancy
77.4years, at birthHigh
#65 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
77WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100HighWHO · 2023
Air pollution
20.6PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageHighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Around the European middle for youth unemployment

Youth unemployment
15.4%share of 15 to 24 year olds in the labour forceModerate
Eurostat · 2025
Home internet
78 Mbpsmedian download speedFastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
488EF English Proficiency Index scoreLowEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet78 MbpsFast
Mobile65 MbpsSlow

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Visas and moving

Digital nomad visaMedium

Minimum income
$3,000 a month
Duration
6 months
Renewable
Unclear
Application fee
$190
  • Tax treatmentExempt
  • Health insuranceRequired
  • Apply onlineYes
  • NationalitiesSome are restricted
Official pageImmigration portal
A beautiful blend of traditional and modern architecture in Ankara, Turkey, under a clear summer sky.
How it changed

Turkey's Human Development Index

0.853Very high human development

51st of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 10th of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #48Uruguay0.862
  2. #50Oman0.858
  3. #51Turkey0.853
  4. #52Kuwait0.852
  5. #53Antigua and Barbuda0.851
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.598 in 1990 to 0.853 in 2023.

0.550.730.900.85319902000201020231990: 0.5981991: 0.6021992: 0.6081993: 0.6151994: 0.6161995: 0.6231996: 0.6301997: 0.6381998: 0.6491999: 0.6522000: 0.6692001: 0.6752002: 0.6852003: 0.6912004: 0.6962005: 0.7012006: 0.7112007: 0.7192008: 0.7212009: 0.7282010: 0.7502011: 0.7642012: 0.7722013: 0.8022014: 0.8132015: 0.8212016: 0.8262017: 0.8332018: 0.8382019: 0.8412020: 0.8382021: 0.8412022: 0.8532023: 0.8530.550.730.9019902000201020231990: 0.5981991: 0.6021992: 0.6081993: 0.6151994: 0.6161995: 0.6231996: 0.6301997: 0.6381998: 0.6491999: 0.6522000: 0.6692001: 0.6752002: 0.6852003: 0.6912004: 0.6962005: 0.7012006: 0.7112007: 0.7192008: 0.7212009: 0.7282010: 0.7502011: 0.7642012: 0.7722013: 0.8022014: 0.8132015: 0.8212016: 0.8262017: 0.8332018: 0.8382019: 0.8412020: 0.8382021: 0.8412022: 0.8532023: 0.853

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
77.4 years2024at birthUp 3.9 years from 73.5 years in 2005
Internet users
90%2025of people onlineUp 72 points from 18% in 2006
Urban population
89%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 25 points from 64% in 2006
Births per woman
1.482024births per womanDown 0.72 from 2.20 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
12%2021of energy usedDown 5 points from 17% in 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityLevel with 2005
Infant mortality
82024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 13 from 21 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
5.4 t2024of CO2 per person a yearUp 1.8 t from 3.5 t in 2005
Forest area
29%2023of land under forestUp 3 points from 27% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Bridge between East and West: high inflation, dramatic landscapes, underrated Istanbul. The case for living here is very high human development. The case against is a low peace ranking, low incomes for Europe and polluted air.

About Turkey

Turkey is a country that genuinely bridges continents and civilisations, where the Byzantine grandeur of Istanbul, the carved valleys of Cappadocia, the ancient ruins of Ephesus and Troy, and the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts all form part of a single, complex cultural inheritance. Turkish hospitality is legendary, the food is outstanding, and the country rewards weeks of exploration across its very different regions. Those who engage beyond the famous sights will find layers of culture and landscape that go very deep.

Practical facts

  • CapitalAnkara
  • LanguagesTurkish
  • CurrencyTurkish lira (TRY)
  • Area769,630 km²
  • Plug typeType C/F
  • Drives on theright
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Borders

ArmeniaAzerbaijanBulgariaGeorgiaGreeceIranIraqSyria

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Quick answers

What is Turkey's Human Development Index?

Turkey's Human Development Index is 0.853 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #51 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Turkey safe?

Turkey scores 2.60 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #135 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Turkey?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Turkey at 39.2 (New York = 100); that is #62 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Turkey?

Life expectancy at birth in Turkey is 77.4 yrs (World Bank), ranked #65 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in Turkey?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Turkey at 142.1, ranked #45 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.