Kars: population, economy and official figures

Kars is a province in Ağrı, Kars, Iğdır, Ardahan, Türkiye. Kars had 272,300 residents on 1 January 2025, 25.4% of Ağrı, Kars, Iğdır, Ardahan and 0.32% of Türkiye; 66th largest of 81 provinces in Türkiye.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Kars: GDP per person was 16,600 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 42% of the EU average (69% for Türkiye); 66th highest of 81 provinces in Türkiye.
• Health in Kars: Kars province had 524 doctors in 2024, 192 per 100,000 people, 38th lowest of 81 provinces (Turkey: 258); 253 of them were specialists.
• Education in Kars: 14.7% of residents aged 15 and over in Kars province held a university or college degree in 2024, 14th lowest of 81 provinces (national 19.6%); the share was 14.4% for women and 14.9% for men.
• Poverty and living standards in Kars: 4,758 homes were sold in Kars province in 2024 (17.5 per 1,000 residents, +181% on 2014); 7.8% of the sales were mortgaged.
• Government budget and revenue in Kars: Central government units in Kars province collected 5.8 billion lira of budget revenue in 2025, 21,344 lira per resident (22nd lowest of 81 provinces), and spent 30.4 billion lira.
• Government and politics in Kars: Kars province’s 7 district mayoralties outside the provincial centre were split in March 2024 as follows: the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Parti) 2, CHP 2, AK Parti 2, MHP 1.

Figures come from Türkiye's own official statistics and from Eurostat's regional statistics for NUTS 3 areas. Comparisons with the EU average use purchasing power standards (PPS), which adjust for price differences.

Other provinces in Ağrı, Kars, Iğdır, Ardahan

• Ağrı 499,801
• Iğdır 206,857
• Ardahan 91,354

Up a level: Ağrı, Kars, Iğdır, Ardahan · all regions of Türkiye · how local power works in Türkiye

Sources

• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjangrp3: Population on 1 January (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4c748d3cba3a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Median age of the population (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7bf6ade55a0d…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Share of people aged 65 or over (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 17aa0d08ab9c…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
• Hazine ve Maliye Bakanlığı, Muhasebat Genel Müdürlüğü (Ministry of Treasury and Finance): 2025 central government budget revenue and expenditure by province (cumulative to December 2025), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ee14ab6763f0…)
• Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK, Turkish Statistical Institute): Bölgesel İstatistikler (Regional Statistics database): 114 indicators for the 81 provinces, 2014-2024 (CSV export), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 54a60ac62f7a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_gind3: Population change: demographic balance and crude rates by NUTS 3 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7548e948e15c…)
• Hazine ve Maliye Bakanlığı, Muhasebat Genel Müdürlüğü (Ministry of Treasury and Finance): 2025 local government budget expenditure by institution type and province (municipalities, provincial special administrations, local unions), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a64619ab0792…)
• Yüksek Seçim Kurulu (YSK, Supreme Election Council), Seçmen Kütüğü Genel Müdürlüğü: Seçim İstatistikleri 2020-2024 (election statistics: 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections, 31 March 2024 local elections), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cb8acf717c1a…)
• Hazine ve Maliye Bakanlığı, Muhasebat Genel Müdürlüğü (Ministry of Treasury and Finance): 2025 general budget tax revenue assessed and collected by province (cumulative to December 2025), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 adf424e2695d…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.