What is the Türkiye Elderly Profile Survey and what does it aim to achieve?
The increase in The elderly population both globally and in Türkiye each year necessitates The development of strategic policies for The elderly. However, The creation of effective policies requires identifying their current conditions, problems, and needs, and developing solutions accordingly. In response to this need, The Ministry of Family and Social Services (MoFSS) and The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) jointly conducted The first-ever Elderly Profile Survey in Türkiye to obtain evidence-based data and compile existing information about The elderly.
A cooperation protocol was signed between the MoFSS General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly and TurkStat on May 10, 2023. Subsequently, on August 15, 2023, a workshop was held with the participation of experts from civil society, public institutions, and other sectors. Based on the workshop outcomes, survey questions were formulated. After finalizing the questionnaire, TurkStat conducted fieldwork nationwide using computer-assisted face-to-face interviews. To present the findings, an information meeting was held on March 22, 2024, at the 75th Year Nursing Home Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center in Ankara during Respect for the Elderly Week (March 18-24). At this event, Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas of MoFSS shared key findings and emphasized the survey's contribution to building an age-friendly society within the vision of the "Century of Türkiye." She also announced that social policies for the elderly would be revised based on the findings. the survey details the psychological, sociocultural, and socioeconomic profile and living conditions of the elderly in Türkiye. Data was collected from 11,657 individuals aged 65 and over (5,232 men and 6,425 women) among a total of 29,785 individuals living in 22,640 households with at least one person aged 50 or older.
What are the key demographic findings regarding the elderly in Türkiye?
According to the survey, Türkiye's elderly population (65+) increased by 21.4% over the last five years, rising from 7,186,204 in 2018 to 8,722,806 in 2023. the proportion of elderly within the total population grew by 1.4% to reach 10.2%. Of the current elderly population, 44.5% are men and 55.5% are women. Türkiye ranks 67th out of 184 countries for elderly population ratio based on UN estimates. At the provincial level, Sinop has the highest and Şırnak the lowest elderly population rate.
Among 26,309,332 households in 2023, 6,458,465 (24.5%) included at least one elderly person, indicating that 1 in 4 households in Türkiye has at least one elderly member. Of these, 1,669,270 elderly individuals live alone, 74.4% of whom are women and 25.6% men. Balıkesir has the highest proportion of elderly living alone (34.4%), while Hakkari has the lowest (7.8%).
Regarding marital status, 1.4% of elderly men were never married, 83.7% were married, 3.9% divorced, and 11.1% widowed. For elderly women, 2.8% were never married, 46.4% married, 4.4% divorced, and 46.4% widowed.
In terms of education, 23.4% of elderly individuals are illiterate, 9% are literate but did not finish school, 59.4% are primary to high school graduates, and 8.2% hold undergraduate or higher degrees.
What do the findings reveal about elderly health and life satisfaction in Türkiye?
In terms of life satisfaction, 64.1% of the elderly reported being happy, 27.9% neutral, and 8% unhappy. 82% cited good health as a reason for happiness, while 64.4% named family as their greatest source of happiness. Additionally, 71.1% look back on life with happiness (74.5% of men and 68.3% of women).
While 86.6% feel safe at home alone, 13.4% do not. Regarding general health status, 21.4% rate it as good, 48.7% moderate, and 24.6% poor.
Concerning smoking, 65.6% never smoked, 21% quit, and 11.3% still smoke regularly. Only 18.3% reported exercising daily or almost daily, whereas 51.4% never exercise. These results highlight the need for social policies that promote physical activity among the elderly.
What do the findings show about social services and support for the elderly?
Only 2.5% receive home care support, while 16.4% express a need for it, indicating a need for MoFSS to improve service delivery. Among elderly individuals, 35.8% live with a spouse, 17% with children or grandchildren, 13.1% with both spouse and children, 13.6% with others, and 20.4% live alone.
A majority (51.9%) prefer to remain at home with home or day care services in old age. Only 5.1% prefer nursing homes; among them, 39% wish to avoid burdening their children, and 27.1% believe the facilities are better.
78.7% have chronic illnesses (84.1% women, 71.9% men), but only 8.7% hold an official disability health report. Only 38.2% use free public transport services.
What do the findings say about elderly participation in social life and independent living?
Internet use among the elderly increased by 23.7 points since 2018 to reach 40.7%, and 85.7% can use a phone. 40.6% interact with neighbors daily, and 86.7% have someone they can call in emergencies. However, only 68.2% know they can call 112 for emergency services, suggesting a need for greater awareness.
Regarding daily independence: 76.6% can clean their homes, 86.5% can bathe independently, and 61.1% can prepare their meals. These figures point to hot meal services as the most pressing need among municipal and institutional care services.
Elderly men enjoy watching news and debate programs (69%), while elderly women prefer TV series (32.5%) and daytime shows (26.4%).
81.8% of elderly individuals own their homes, while 7.7% live rent-free. Home ownership is highest in Central Anatolia (91.2%) and lowest in Istanbul (74.1%).
Additionally, 23.3% financially support their children. 9.7% care for their grandchildren daily (8.8% men, 10.3% women), with 64.4% providing daily care
