24.02.2026 15:27
In the year 2025, declared as the 'Year of the Family' by President Erdoğan, the marriage rate in Turkey decreased while the divorce rate increased. The number of couples getting married in 2025 was recorded as 552,237, while the number of couples getting divorced was 193,793. In the previous year, 2024, the number of couples getting married was 569,983, and the number of couples getting divorced was 188,963.
A striking table emerged in the marriage and divorce statistics across Turkey in 2025. Last year, 552,237 couples united their lives, while 193,793 couples parted ways. The number of couples married in the previous year, 2024, was 569,983. Thus, there was a decrease in marriages on an annual basis. The crude marriage rate, which shows the number of marriages per thousand people, was recorded as 6.43 per thousand in 2025.
INCREASE IN DIVORCES
The number of divorced couples rose from 188,963 in 2024 to 193,793 in 2025. The crude divorce rate was calculated as 2.26 per thousand. These data indicated that there was a limited increase in divorces. When looking at the timing of divorces, it was observed that a significant portion of separations occurred in the early years of marriage. 34% of divorces happened within the first 5 years, while 20.3% occurred in marriages lasting 6-10 years.
AVERAGE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE IS INCREASING
It was observed that the average age at first marriage has increased for both women and men over the years. According to 2025 data, the average age at first marriage for men rose to 28.5, while for women it reached 26. The average age difference at first marriage between men and women was recorded as 2.5 years.
HIGHEST MARRIAGE RATE IN GAZIANTEP
The province with the highest crude marriage rate was Gaziantep, with 7.76 per thousand. It was followed by Osmaniye with 7.68 per thousand and Şanlıurfa with 7.5 per thousand. The province with the lowest crude marriage rate was Tunceli, recorded at 4.18 per thousand. Gümüşhane followed Tunceli with 4.58 per thousand, while Ardahan was next with 4.67 per thousand.
HIGHER PROPORTION OF FOREIGN BRIDES
The share of foreigners among total marriages also drew attention. In 2025, the number of foreign grooms was recorded as 5,347, constituting 1% of all grooms. The number of foreign brides reached 28,646, making up 5.2% of all brides.
When examined by nationality, Syrians ranked first among foreign grooms with 20.9%. German grooms were second with 18.8%, and Afghan grooms were third with 5%.
Among foreign brides, Syrians also ranked first with 13.8%. Uzbek brides took the second place with 13.7%, while Moroccan brides were third with 9.6%.
DIVORCE RATE PEAK IN IZMIR
In 2025, the province with the highest crude divorce rate was İzmir, with 3.28 per thousand. Antalya was second with 3.21 per thousand, and Denizli was third with 3.14 per thousand.
The province with the lowest divorce rate was recorded as Hakkari, with 0.51 per thousand. Şırnak followed with 0.52 per thousand, and Bitlis was next with 0.63 per thousand.
CUSTODY OF CHILDREN MOSTLY WITH MOTHER
As a result of finalized divorce cases, the custody of 191,371 children was decided. It was observed that the majority of custody was granted to the mother. Accordingly, custody of 74.6% of the children was given to the mother, while 25.4% was left to the father.