Istanbul boasts 15.7M population, more populous than 131 countries

Megacity’s population surpasses Belgium, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and Austria, among others, data shows

By Mertkan Oruc and Emir Yildirim

Türkiye’s most populous city, Istanbul, boasts a population of 15.7 million, ahead of 131 countries in population, according to data from the statistical bureau TurkStat and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

Istanbul’s population increased by over 45,600 people in 2024 to 15.7 million last year, 7.88 million of which are women.

Istanbul accounts for 18.3% of the total population of Türkiye, the data showed.

The population of Istanbul is higher than 131 countries out of the total 204 that the UNFPA tracks.

Some of the countries lagging behind Istanbul in population are Belgium with 11.7 million, Czechia with 10.5 million, Greece with 10.3 million, and Hungary with 10 million in Europe.

The data showed that the megacity’s population surpassed Portugal, Austria, Jordan, Israel, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Serbia, Paraguay, and Libya.

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