Speaking at the debut of the “Decade (2026-2035) of Family and Population Vision,” President Erdoğan said: “The absurdity of the claims made by those, who accuse us of trivializing the individual or undermining women simply because we prioritize and value the family, will become clear. The validity of our efforts to protect and strengthen the family will be much better understood in the future.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the debut of the “Decade (2026-2035) of Family and Population Vision” at Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul.
“In this age of digital technoculture, just like almost everything else related to humanity and life, the family is also transforming, changing form, and, of course, facing serious challenges. We are in an era where the structures we have grown accustomed to are dissolving, and people’s search for direction and purpose is intensifying. As the leadership bearing the responsibility for 86 million people, we are striving to prepare Türkiye for the future by anticipating the potential risks, threats, and opportunities to do what is best for our country and our nation,” President Erdoğan said.
“The absurdity of the claims made by those, who accuse us of trivializing the individual or undermining women simply because we prioritize and value the family, will become clear. The validity of our efforts to protect and strengthen the family will be much better understood in the future. The reason I say this is that as Türkiye, we are not only feeling the effects of the rapid changes taking place around the world in matters of family and population; we are also grappling with the negative consequences of the misguided policies and perceptions that have been in place since the 1960s,” President Erdoğan said.
“Almost all of the countries cited as global models of a prosperous society are lamenting the decline in their population growth rates. Similarly, they are unable to prevent the institution of the family from losing ground in the face of global trends toward degenderization. In some countries, the problem has reached such a critical point that without immigrants, the economy would collapse, life would grind to a halt, and even the most basic services could no longer be provided,” President Erdoğan said.
“The statistics are alarming for all”
“As a country that is economically, commercially, and socially integrated with the rest of the world, we are unfortunately affected by all of these developments as well. Our family ties are weakening, the average age of marriage is rising, divorce rates are increasing, and as a result, our fertility rate is declining. To be honest, the statistics are alarming for all of us. For example, our fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1 since 2017; we estimate that the rate, which dropped to 1.48 in 2024, will unfortunately decline further in 2025. In our country, while 1,351,000 babies were born annually in 2014, this number fell below 1 million in 2023,” President Erdoğan said.
“Another cause for concern is that our median age rose to 34.9 in 2025, meaning that one in every two citizens is now approximately 35 years old. Meanwhile, the proportion of the elderly population rose to 11.1 percent as of 2025. Furthermore, the elderly population in rural areas has now surpassed the child population,” President Erdoğan underscored.
“Another statistic I’d like to draw your attention to is the average household size, which has now dropped to 3.08. The proportion of single-person households, meanwhile, has reached 20.5 percent. While the average age at first marriage has risen to 28.5 for men and 26 for women, the percentage of women who have never married in the 20–24 age group is 79%, and 94% for men. In other words, we are facing a situation that should cause us national concern for our future, and we must not only acknowledge this but also take action to address it,” President Erdoğan said.
“We are taking the necessary measures to mitigate the risks of tomorrow”
“I would like to point out that this alarming situation is not unique to Türkiye. Many countries, from Europe to the Far East, are facing an aging population, declining birth rates, and the gradual breakdown of the family structure. Compared to those regions, thankfully, Türkiye is in a much better position. For example, while the median age in Europe is 45, it is approaching 35 in Türkiye; Türkiye is still 10 years younger than the European Union. Nevertheless, we are already taking the necessary measures to mitigate the risks of tomorrow, just as we did with our call for three children,” President Erdoğan said.
