Marriages decrease, divorces increase in Turkey’s ‘Year of the Family’

The number of marriages in Turkey fell while divorces rose in 2025, official data showed on Tuesday, despite government efforts to promote the year as the “Year of the Family,” which entailed a wide range of programs aimed at strengthening family and increasing the population.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), 552,237 couples married in 2025, down from 569,983 the previous year, a decline of roughly 3.1 percent. Meanwhile, divorces climbed to 193,793 from 188,963, an increase of about 2.6 percent. The figures mean that for approximately every three marriages in Turkey last year, one divorce was finalized.

In 2025 Turkey recorded 6.43 marriages and 2.26 finalized divorces for every 1,000 people, TurkStat data showed.

‘Year of the Family’

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared 2025 the “Year of the Family” on January 13, 2025. Over the course of the year, the Ministry of Family and Social Services carried out an extensive campaign to support family formation and stability.

According to ministry data, nearly 1.9 million household visits were conducted and 13 new Social Service Centers were opened. Interest-free loans for newlywed couples were raised to 250,000 lira ($5,700) for couples in which both spouses are between 18 and 25 years of age. The ministry said 136,276 young people benefited from the program. A total of 2,024 discount agreements were signed with retail sectors, 16,451 family communication workshops were held and 44 new Family Support Centers were opened across the country.

Birth subsidies were also increased: a one-time payment of 5,000 lira ($114) for the first child, a monthly payment of 1,500 lira ($34) for the second child until age 5 and 5,000 lira ($114) per month for the third and subsequent children until age 5.

Opposition blames economic hardship

Main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Ankara lawmaker Semra Dinçer said economic conditions were the primary driver behind the trends.

“People in this country are no longer just struggling to make ends meet; starting a family and keeping one together has become an increasingly heavy burden,” Dinçer said in a written statement to the Anka news agency.

Dinçer argued that young people could no longer afford wedding costs, housing and basic necessities. “As the fire in the kitchen grows, the peace inside the home disappears. Under these conditions, domestic disputes, stress and desperation increase, and it is homes that are destroyed the most,” she said.

Dinçer also addressed Erdoğan’s longstanding call for families to have three children, saying the rising marriage age was pushing back family planning. The average age of first marriage in 2025 was 28.5 for men and 26 for women, TurkStat data showed, both continuing a steady upward trend.

“Young people are aware of the realities. They are first trying to find jobs, pay off debts and secure housing. When marriage is delayed, so are plans for children,” Dinçer said.