Economy, jobs and prices in İstanbul, Türkiye: official figures
GDP per person was 44,100 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 111% of the EU average; the highest of 26 regions in Türkiye. PPS adjust for price differences between countries.
How big is the economy of İstanbul?
The regional economy produced €365.7 billion of output (GDP at market prices) in 2024, 29.2% of Türkiye's GDP.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in İstanbul?
The unemployment rate (age 15 to 74) was 9.0% in 2025, against 8.4% for Türkiye and 6.0% across the EU; 8th highest of 26 regions in Türkiye.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is youth unemployment in İstanbul?
Youth unemployment (age 15 to 24) was 16.7% in 2025, against 15.4% for Türkiye; 8th highest of 26 regions in Türkiye.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow much does İstanbul spend on research and development?
Spending on research and development came to 1.67% of GDP in 2024 (1.46% nationally).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average income in the İstanbul region?
People in the İstanbul region (TR10) had a mean equivalised disposable income of 434,929 lira a year in the 2025 survey (reference year 2024), ranking 2nd highest of 26 regions; the Turkish average was 332,882 lira.
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copyWhat is the median income in the İstanbul region?
The median equivalised income in the İstanbul region was 314,390 lira per person in the 2025 survey, 30% above the national figure (241,151 lira); half of residents lived on less than this. That was 2nd highest of 26 regions.
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copyHow expensive is the İstanbul region compared with the rest of Turkey?
Adjusted for regional prices (TÜİK price level index 112.6 in 2024, Türkiye = 100), the median income in the İstanbul region is worth about 279,184 lira at national prices, 4th highest of 26 regions on purchasing power.
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copyIs the İstanbul region expensive to live in?
Consumer prices in the İstanbul region (TR10) were 12.6% above the Turkish average in 2024, according to TÜİK's regional price level index (112.6), the most expensive of 26 regions.
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copyHow many women work in the İstanbul region?
Women's labour force participation in the İstanbul region (TR10) was 39.7% in 2025 (3.5 points above the national 36.2%), 5th highest of 26 regions, while 74.5% of men took part.
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copyHow many people in İstanbul are long-term unemployed?
Long-term unemployment (people out of work for a year or more) stood at 1.3% of the labour force in 2025, compared with 1.5% nationally and 1.9% in the EU; 8th lowest of 26 statistical regions in Türkiye. In 2015 it was 2.8%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate for women in İstanbul?
The unemployment rate for women in İstanbul was 11.6% in 2025, compared with 11.4% nationally and 6.2% in the EU; 12th highest of 26 statistical regions in Türkiye. In 2015 it was 17.0%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many women in İstanbul are in work?
The employment rate for women aged 20 to 64 reached 41.7% in 2025, compared with 39.1% nationally and 71.3% in the EU; 9th highest of 26 statistical regions in Türkiye. In 2015 it was 31.8%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many cars are there in İstanbul?
Residents of İstanbul owned 243 cars per 1,000 people in 2024, compared with 189 nationally; 3rd highest of 26 statistical regions in Türkiye. In 2014 it was 158.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many tourists visit İstanbul?
Visitors spent 40.1 million nights in tourist accommodation in 2025, 72% of them by visitors from abroad.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the main industry in İstanbul?
The largest part of the economy of İstanbul in 2024 was trade, transport, hospitality and communications, at 44.4% of gross value added, followed by finance, property and business services (23.7%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is İstanbul?
Factories, mines and energy produced 17.0% of the value added in İstanbul in 2024, against 22.2% for Türkiye.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of İstanbul growing?
Gross value added rose from €210.7 billion in 2015 to €324.9 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 54% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Mean equivalised income in the İstanbul region rose 68.6% between the 2024 and 2025 surveys, from 257,891 lira to 434,929 lira, against a national rise of 77.3% in a period of high inflation. Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copy
- Relative to the national average, mean income in the İstanbul region went from 131% of the Turkish level in the 2014 survey to 131% in 2025, little change over 11 years. Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copy
- Food and non-alcoholic drinks cost 105.5 in the İstanbul region on TÜİK's 2024 index (Türkiye = 100), transport 103.8 and restaurants and hotels 107.0. Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copy
- The employment rate of women in the İstanbul region was 35.2% in 2025, 6th highest of 26 regions; about 2.23 million women were employed and 3.81 million were outside the labour force. Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copy
- Female labour force participation in the İstanbul region changed from 33.6% in 2020 to 39.7% in 2025, a change of +6.1 points. Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copy
- The gap between men's and women's labour force participation in the İstanbul region was 34.8 percentage points in 2025; the national gap was 35.1 points. Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) · saved copy
How İstanbul compares with other statistical regions
Mean annual equivalised household disposable income per person (lira) (2025)
İstanbul ranks 2 of 26, highest first. TÜİK Income and Living Conditions Survey 2025; incomes refer to 2024
| Rank | Region | Mean annual equivalised household disposable income per person (lira) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankara | 449,618 TL |
| 2 | İstanbul | 434,929 TL |
| 3 | İzmir | 405,896 TL |
| 4 | Antalya, Isparta, Burdur | 389,485 TL |
| 5 | Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli | 385,188 TL |
| 6 | Bursa, Eskişehir, Bilecik | 365,324 TL |
| 7 | Balıkesir, Çanakkale | 350,333 TL |
Median annual equivalised household disposable income per person (lira) (2025)
İstanbul ranks 2 of 26, highest first. Incomes refer to 2024
| Rank | Region | Median annual equivalised household disposable income per person (lira) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankara | 315,193 TL |
| 2 | İstanbul | 314,390 TL |
| 3 | Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli | 302,611 TL |
| 4 | Bursa, Eskişehir, Bilecik | 300,159 TL |
| 5 | İzmir | 279,583 TL |
| 6 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 268,571 TL |
| 7 | Balıkesir, Çanakkale | 262,333 TL |
Median equivalised income adjusted for regional price levels (lira at national prices) (2025)
İstanbul ranks 4 of 26, highest first. Median income (2025 survey) divided by the 2024 regional price level index; computed
| Rank | Region | Median equivalised income adjusted for regional price levels (lira at national prices) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankara | 301,860 TL |
| 2 | Bursa, Eskişehir, Bilecik | 292,752 TL |
| 3 | Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli | 290,503 TL |
| 4 | İstanbul | 279,184 TL |
| 5 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 261,753 TL |
| 6 | İzmir | 253,991 TL |
| 7 | Zonguldak, Karabük, Bartın | 252,447 TL |
Regional price level index for household consumption (Türkiye = 100) (2024)
İstanbul ranks 1 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Regional price level index for household consumption (Türkiye = 100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | İstanbul | 112.6 |
| 2 | İzmir | 110.1 |
| 3 | Balıkesir, Çanakkale | 108.0 |
| 4 | Aydın, Denizli, Muğla | 106.3 |
| 5 | Antalya, Isparta, Burdur | 104.4 |
| 6 | Ankara | 104.4 |
| 7 | Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli | 104.2 |
Labour force participation rate of women aged 15+ (%) (2025)
İstanbul ranks 5 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Labour force participation rate of women aged 15+ (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kastamonu, Çankırı, Sinop | 41.2% |
| 3 | Trabzon, Ordu, Giresun, Rize, Artvin, Gümüşhane | 40.7% |
| 4 | İzmir | 40.3% |
| 5 | İstanbul | 39.7% |
| 6 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 39.6% |
| 7 | Aydın, Denizli, Muğla | 39.3% |
| 8 | Balıkesir, Çanakkale | 39.0% |
Employment rate of women aged 15+ (%) (2025)
İstanbul ranks 6 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate of women aged 15+ (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Trabzon, Ordu, Giresun, Rize, Artvin, Gümüşhane | 36.9% |
| 4 | Balıkesir, Çanakkale | 35.7% |
| 5 | Aydın, Denizli, Muğla | 35.7% |
| 6 | İstanbul | 35.2% |
| 7 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 35.1% |
| 8 | İzmir | 34.4% |
| 9 | Samsun, Tokat, Çorum, Amasya | 34.0% |
Long-term unemployment (% of labour force) (2025)
İstanbul ranks 19 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Long-term unemployment (% of labour force) |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 1.4% |
| 17 | Kayseri, Sivas, Yozgat | 1.4% |
| 18 | Kastamonu, Çankırı, Sinop | 1.4% |
| 19 | İstanbul | 1.3% |
| 20 | Bursa, Eskişehir, Bilecik | 1.3% |
| 21 | Aydın, Denizli, Muğla | 1.1% |
| 22 | Manisa, Afyonkarahisar, Kütahya, Uşak | 1.1% |
Unemployment rate, women (2025)
İstanbul ranks 12 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate, women |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Malatya, Elazığ, Bingöl, Tunceli | 12.5% |
| 10 | Ankara | 11.8% |
| 11 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 11.7% |
| 12 | İstanbul | 11.6% |
| 13 | Bursa, Eskişehir, Bilecik | 11.5% |
| 14 | Konya, Karaman | 10.9% |
| 15 | Kayseri, Sivas, Yozgat | 10.6% |
Employment rate, women aged 20-64 (2025)
İstanbul ranks 9 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate, women aged 20-64 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | İzmir | 43.1% |
| 7 | Samsun, Tokat, Çorum, Amasya | 42.5% |
| 8 | Manisa, Afyonkarahisar, Kütahya, Uşak | 41.8% |
| 9 | İstanbul | 41.7% |
| 10 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 41.7% |
| 11 | Ankara | 41.1% |
| 12 | Bursa, Eskişehir, Bilecik | 40.4% |
Passenger cars per 1,000 people (2024)
İstanbul ranks 3 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Passenger cars per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankara | 342 |
| 2 | Antalya, Isparta, Burdur | 252 |
| 3 | İstanbul | 243 |
| 4 | İzmir | 226 |
| 5 | Aydın, Denizli, Muğla | 222 |
| 6 | Bursa, Eskişehir, Bilecik | 209 |
| 7 | Balıkesir, Çanakkale | 206 |
Nights spent in tourist accommodation (2025)
İstanbul ranks 2 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Nights spent in tourist accommodation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antalya, Isparta, Burdur | 111.9 million |
| 2 | İstanbul | 40.1 million |
| 3 | Aydın, Denizli, Muğla | 33.6 million |
| 4 | İzmir | 8.4 million |
| 5 | Ankara | 6.2 million |
| 6 | Balıkesir, Çanakkale | 5.3 million |
| 7 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 5.2 million |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
İstanbul ranks 18 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Adana, Mersin | 18.1% |
| 16 | Ankara | 17.5% |
| 17 | Samsun, Tokat, Çorum, Amasya | 17.3% |
| 18 | İstanbul | 17.0% |
| 19 | Trabzon, Ordu, Giresun, Rize, Artvin, Gümüşhane | 16.0% |
| 20 | Mardin, Batman, Şırnak, Siirt | 15.1% |
| 21 | Malatya, Elazığ, Bingöl, Tunceli | 14.2% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
İstanbul ranks 2 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankara | 24.9% |
| 2 | İstanbul | 23.7% |
| 3 | Trabzon, Ordu, Giresun, Rize, Artvin, Gümüşhane | 21.0% |
| 4 | Erzurum, Erzincan, Bayburt | 18.6% |
| 5 | Antalya, Isparta, Burdur | 18.5% |
| 6 | Zonguldak, Karabük, Bartın | 17.9% |
| 7 | Samsun, Tokat, Çorum, Amasya | 17.5% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
İstanbul ranks 26 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Adana, Mersin | 14.5% |
| 21 | Manisa, Afyonkarahisar, Kütahya, Uşak | 14.5% |
| 22 | İzmir | 12.6% |
| 23 | Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli | 11.9% |
| 24 | Bursa, Eskişehir, Bilecik | 11.7% |
| 25 | Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova | 10.2% |
| 26 | İstanbul | 8.6% |
More on İstanbul: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · Türkiye
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (purchasing power standards), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c21f724d14a6…)
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