Foreigners Residing In Istanbul Increase

451.543 RECORD INCREASE IN FOREIGNER POPULATION OF ISTANBUL

Istanbul's population increased by 451 thousand people in 2019 compared to 2018. The population of the city had increased by only 38 thousand people in 2018 compared to the previous year. The local election and the increase in the foreign population boosted the urban population. The foreign population residing in Istanbul increased by 165,197 in 2019 to 597,440. The population growth rate in Istanbul jumped from 2.6 per thousand in 2018 to 29.5 per thousand in 2019. There has been no such population growth in Istanbul in recent years.

A striking detail is included in the 2019 population data released today by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). Population growth in Istanbul, which has ground to a halt in recent years, jumped spectacularly in 2019. According to the results of the address-based Population Registration System (ADNKS), the population of Istanbul, which increased only 38,493 in 2018, increased exactly 451,543 in 2019 and reached 15 million 519,267.

As of December 31, 2019, the population of Turkey increased by 1 million 151,15 people compared to the previous year, reaching 83 million 154,997 people, while full 39.2 percent of the increase came from Istanbul alone.

While the annual population growth rate was 14.7 per thousand in 2018, it declined to 13.9 per thousand in 2019. In Istanbul, the population growth rate, which was 2.6 per thousand in 2018, jumped to 29.5 per thousand in 2019.

In 2018, 18.4 percent of Turkey's population resided in Istanbul, while this rate skyrocketed to 18.66 percent in 2019.

According to a compilation of TurkStat data dating back to 2007, the least increase in the population of Istanbul was recorded in 2018 and the most in 2019.

WHAT COULD BE THE REASON FOR THE INCREASE?

In the stunning population growth recorded in Istanbul in 2019, several factors may have been influential. One of them is the possibility of increased migration to Istanbul from home and abroad. However, the TurkStat has not yet released its 2019 migration statistics.

Another factor could be the granting of citizenship to foreign asylum seekers based in Istanbul. As a matter of fact, according to the results of the ADNKS, the foreign population residing in our country increased by 320 thousand 146 people compared to the previous year and was 1 million 531 thousand 180 people. The one-year rate of increase in this item was 26.4 percent. As a matter of fact, according to TurkStat data, the foreign population residing in Istanbul increased by 165,197 and reached 597,440 in 2019.

TurkStat's statement on the foreign population “within the scope of the foreign national population, persons with valid residence or work permit at the date of reference, persons with valid address declaration at the date of reference and persons with valid address declaration at the date of reference, such as international protection identity document, which replaces the residence permit, and persons with blue card holders.

Course, tourism, scientific research etc. for reasons less than 3 months Visa or residence permit foreigners with temporary protection status in the country Syrians are not included in the population,” the statement says.

Another factor that comes to mind is the possibility of voters being shifted from other provinces to Istanbul for the local election in 2018.