Note: This report includes forecasting data that is based on baseline historical data.
Executive summary
Turkey's real gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow from US$718.3 billion in 2020 to US$849.1 billion by 2024, making Turkey the 20th largest economy in the world.
Turkey is located in the eastern mediteranean region and is a transcontinental country apart of both Europe and Asia. It is among the largest countries in these region by both population and area. Turkey's population is 83.2 million as of 2020. In 2040, Turkey's population is expected to reach 90.2 million, an increase of 8.4% from 2020.
The increase in Turkey's population can be attributed mostly to high, but declining birthrates. Turkey's high birthrate is expected to push it to the most populous nation in Western Europe, passing Germany in the next few years.
Turkish dishes contain primarily meat, vegetables and legumes. A great number of meals are of soupy consistency containing some sort of stock or stew. As a result they consume a large amount of bread. Dishes forming trademark Turkish cuisine include Turkish kebabs, döner kebab, Turkish ravioli and a great number of eggplant dishes.
In 2020, consumer expenditure per capita was US$407,056, 21.3% of which was spent on food.
Driven by Turkey's increasing income and affluence, and by the global trend toward healthy eating, including natural ingredients and quality food, customers increased their consumption of health and wellness products at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.0% from 2016 to 2020, in particular in the free from products category, which posted a CAGR of 35.2%.
Key demographic indicators
Turkey recorded a population of 83.2 million in 2020, it is expected to increase to 86.6 in the next 5 years and reach 90.2 million in the year 2040. The growth rate for all age groups from 2010 to 2040 ranges from a −4.0% CAGR (ages 0-4 and 10-14) to a 26.1% CAGR (ages 80+). The 80+ age group is recording the fastest growth among all age groups in Turkey, and will represent 4.0% of the total population in 2040. Population growth in 2020-2040 will be driven by the 60+ age group, which will grow by 89.1%.
The increase in Turkey's population can be attributed mostly to high, but declining birthrates. Turkey's high birthrate is expected to push it to the most populous nation in Western Europe, passing Germany in the next few years. Despite declining birthrates and an ageing population Turkey will remain the youngest country in the region into 2040, maintaining a old-age depency ration below the regional average and share of the working population despite falling relatively high.
Since 2011 Turkey has received more refugees than any other country. Out of the 3.6 million refugees taken in only 2.5% of them still remain in camps.
Age group | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | 2035 | 2040 | CAGR* % 2010-2040 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0-4 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.8 | −4.0 |
5-9 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.0 | −3.7 |
10-14 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 5.3 | 5.1 | −4.0 |
15-19 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 5.3 | −2.7 |
20-24 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 0.0 |
25-29 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | −1.1 |
30-34 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 0.5 |
35-39 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 1.4 |
40-44 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 5.2 |
45-49 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 5.3 |
50-54 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 8.4 |
55-59 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 13.1 |
60-64 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 5.5 | 15.1 |
65-69 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 19.0 |
70-74 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 19.4 |
75-79 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 18.4 |
80+ | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 26.1 |
Total | 72.6 | 77.7 | 83.2 | 84.9 | 86.6 | 88.6 | 90.2 | 3.7 |
Median age | 28.8 | 30.7 | 32.4 | 34.4 | 36.4 | 38.3 | 40.4 | 5.8 |
Source: Euromonitor International from national statistics / UN *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate based on every five-year period for this table |
Turkey's vital statistics
In Turkey, the fertility rate was 1.8 children per female in 2020, well below the replacement rate of 2.1. It will, however, fall to 1.6 children per female by 2030, which is much lower than it was in 1980, when the rate was 4.3. This is primarily due to the increasing age at childbirth resulting from the rising expense of raising a family as well as the prioritization of education and careers. Women giving birth to children started younger, from age 27.9 in 2010 to age 29.1 in 2020, and is forecast to increase to age 30.7 from 2020 to 2040. Turkey's population growth in 2020-2040 will be slower than it was in the 2010s due to falling birth and fertility rates. At the same time, net migration, once boosted by strong econonmic growth and regional conflict, is set to turn negative in upcoming years.
Category | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | 2035 | 2040 | CAGR* % 2010-2040 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 17.2 | 17.1 | 13.3 | 12.4 | 11.6 | 11.0 | 10.4 | −8.0 |
Live births ('000) | 1,261 | 1,337 | 1,113 | 1,055 | 1,009 | 974 | 942 | −4.7 |
Death rate | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 5.0 |
Deaths ('000) | 367 | 406 | 450 | 476 | 508 | 552 | 604 | 8.7 |
Natural change ('000) | 895 | 931 | 663 | 578 | 502 | 423 | 338 | −15.0 |
Rate of natural change | 12.2 | 11.9 | 7.9 | 6.8 | 5.7 | 4.8 | 3.7 | −18.0 |
Net migration ('000) | 267.0 | 113.8 | −203.5 | −294.6 | −114.0 | −50.0 | −58.6 | |
Fertility rate | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | −4.4 |
Age at childbirth | 27.9 | 28.6 | 29.1 | 29.7 | 30.1 | 30.5 | 30.7 | 1.6 |
Source: Euromonitor International from national statistics / UN *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate based on every five-year period for this table Note: Birth and death rates and the rates of natural change refer to the number per '000 population and fertility rates to the number of children born per female. Age at childbirth refers to average age of women in years. |
Household structure in Turkey
The average Turkish household in 2020 is home to 3.3 people, with the primary household type being couples with children. Single person and couples without children are the two fastest growing housetypes, 6.6% and 4.0% CAGR respectively from 2016-2020 and is expected to continute growing to 2025, with CAGR of 5.2% and 2.5%. These increases are primarily a result rising expenses and women prioritizing education and careers, as well as westernisation and modernisation in Turkey.
Type | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | CAGR* % 2016-2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Couple with children | 9,244.7 | 9,343.0 | 9,432.2 | 9,528.2 | 9,626.0 | 1.0 |
Other[1] | 4,884.6 | 4,981.9 | 5,072.2 | 5,163.8 | 5,254.3 | 1.8 |
Couple without children | 4,197.7 | 4,354.5 | 4,500.5 | 4,731.2 | 4,916.0 | 4.0 |
Single person | 3,305.9 | 3,492.6 | 3,669.9 | 4,002.6 | 4,264.6 | 6.6 |
Single-Parent Family | 961.6 | 983.5 | 1,003.6 | 1,023.5 | 1,042.9 | 2.0 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate 1: Couples with children and extended families |
Type | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | CAGR* % 2021-2025 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Couple with children | 9,642.0 | 9,647.7 | 9,648.1 | 9,639.1 | 9,629.2 | −0.03 |
Other[1] | 5,297.8 | 5,333.0 | 5,362.7 | 5,384.8 | 5,404.1 | 0.5 |
Couple without children | 5,060.5 | 5,209.0 | 5,341.1 | 5,466.6 | 5,589.4 | 2.5 |
Single person | 4,503.7 | 4,768.3 | 5,013.2 | 5,259.5 | 5,509.7 | 5.2 |
Single-Parent Family | 1,052.7 | 1,060.6 | 1,067.2 | 1,072.2 | 1,076.4 | 0.6 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate 1: Couples with children and extended families |
Turkey's urban population versus rural population
Turkey was predominantly urban, with 76.1% of the population residing in urban areas in 2020. The urban population is expected to increase to 83.4% by 2040, reaching around 75.2 million people. The rural population fell from 29.2% in 2010 to 23.9% in 2020 and is forecast to decrease to 16.6% by 2040.
The income gap between urban and rural households remains relatively modest, many moving to cities in seach of economic opportunities.
Population | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | 2035 | 2040 | CAGR* % 2010-2040 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 72,561.3 | 77,695.9 | 83,155.0 | 84,854.8 | 86,553.5 | 88,550.2 | 90,208.7 | 3.7 |
Urban population | 51,391.5 | 57,192.7 | 63,285.1 | 66,451.5 | 69,456.6 | 72,543.0 | 75,206.1 | 6.6 |
Rural population | 21,169.8 | 20,503.2 | 19,869.9 | 18,403.3 | 17,096.9 | 16,007.2 | 15,002.6 | −5.6 |
Urban population | 70.8 | 73.6 | 76.1 | 78.3 | 80.2 | 81.9 | 83.4 | 2.8 |
Rural population | 29.2 | 26.4 | 23.9 | 21.7 | 19.8 | 18.1 | 16.6 | −8.9 |
Source: Euromonitor International from national statistics / UN *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate based on every five-year period for this table |
Instanbul is the largest city in Turkey, home to an impressive 15 million people or 19% of the total population of Turkey. It is the countries economic center with incredible amounts of history and culture. It's population has increased by 27.4% from 2010 to 2020 and is expected to increase a further 14.8% to 17.6 million, the largest absolute growth of any citiy in Turkey. Antayla will be the fastest growing city, percentage wise, from 2020-2040 growing by more than 28%. Many internal migrants are planned to move there in search of jobs in agriculture or tourism.
City | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | 2035 | 2040 | CAGR* % 2010-2040 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Istanbul | 12,000 | 13,795 | 15,291 | 16,050 | 16,597 | 17,124 | 17,551 | 6.5 |
Ankara | 4,097 | 4,588 | 5,023 | 5,283 | 5,498 | 5,708 | 5,882 | 6.2 |
Izmir | 2,728 | 2,848 | 3,024 | 3,082 | 3,134 | 3,202 | 3,262 | 3.0 |
Bursa | 1,624 | 1,800 | 1,974 | 2,070 | 2,145 | 2,218 | 2,279 | 5.8 |
Adana | 1,556 | 1,664 | 1,719 | 1,713 | 1,715 | 1,732 | 1,750 | 2.0 |
Gaziantep | 1,279 | 1,510 | 1,654 | 1,721 | 1,775 | 1,831 | 1,878 | 6.6 |
Konya | 1,003 | 1,175 | 1,243 | 1,270 | 1,293 | 1,323 | 1,348 | 5.0 |
Antalya | 886 | 1,068 | 1,207 | 1,318 | 1,406 | 1,485 | 1,549 | 9.8 |
Diyarbakir | 835 | 930 | 999 | 1,039 | 1,070 | 1,102 | 1,129 | 5.2 |
Mersin | 842 | 916 | 976 | 1,003 | 1,026 | 1,053 | 1,076 | 4.2 |
Source: Euromonitor International from national statistics / UN *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate based on every five-year period for this table |
Population by language
In 2020, 83.5% of the population was been using Turkish and that figure is forecast to decrease slightly to 82.7% by 2040. Kurdish is the second most common language, used by 13.3% of the population in 2020, and that figure is forecast to increase slightly to 14.0% by 2030.
Language | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | CAGR* % 2015-2030 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Turkish | 84.1 | 83.5 | 83.0 | 82.7 | −0.6 |
Kurdish | 12.8 | 13.3 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 3.0 |
Other | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
Arabic | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
Source: Euromonitor International from national statistics / UN *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate based on every five-year period for this table |
Population by religion
Religion | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | CAGR* % 2015-2030 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Islam: Sunni | 98.5 | 98.5 | 98.5 | 98.5 | 0 |
Other religions | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0 |
Christianity: Eastern Orthodox | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 |
Source: Euromonitor International from national statistics / UN *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate based on every five-year period for this table |
Business environment and dynamics
Turkey has seen impressive economic and social growth over the past 20 years. This has lead to increased employment and income which has pushed Turkey to an upper-middle income country. Throughout this period Turkey urbanized rapidly, opened to foreign trade and finance, implemented and maintained strong economic policies, made public services more accessible and adjusted laws and regulation to better match EU standards. (World Bank 2021)
According to a 2020 report, Turkey climbed 10 spots to 33rd place in the World Bank's annual ease of doing business ranking following increases in most pillars, these pillars being: Registering Property, Getting Credit, Protecting Minority Investors, Paying Taxes and Enforcing Contracts. These increases come as a result of reforms that came into effect in 2019 which allowed for less expensive and faster property registration and amendments to VAT (value added tax). Despite rising rankings in ease of doing business starting a business in Turkey is still dificult, high interest rates, depreceating currency, lack of a skilled workers and poor infrastructure. Lenghthy bureaucratic procedures and difficulty opening a liquication new business limit investemnt and burden the business environment. Accoring to the World Bank, in 2020, Turkey was the 19th highest-ranking economy in the world in terms of gross domestic product. (Euromonitor 2021).
According to Euromonitor, individuals aged 45-49 are predominantly the highest-income earners, and are forecast to dominate among the highest-income earners into 2040. The latter age cohort will drive demand for luxury goods and family-oriented services. Average gross income for all working ages continues to increase, from US$8,898.9 in 2016 to an estimated value of US$10,513.2 in 2025.
Average Gross Income | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | CAGR* % 2016-2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All working ages | 8,698.8 | 9,085.2 | 8,939.5 | 8,909.0 | 9,109.6 | 1.2 |
15-19 | 5,502.0 | 5,782.4 | 5,721.3 | 5,736.0 | 5,900.6 | 1.8 |
20-24 | 7,316.7 | 7,671.5 | 7,573.0 | 7,574.4 | 7,773.1 | 1.5 |
25-29 | 8,402.3 | 8,783.7 | 8,645.3 | 8,620.8 | 8,820.6 | 1.2 |
30-34 | 9,119.1 | 9,508.9 | 9,336.5 | 9,286.6 | 9,478.0 | 1.0 |
35-39 | 9,703.8 | 10,099.1 | 9,897.8 | 9,825.9 | 10,009.6 | 0.8 |
40-44 | 9,923.7 | 10,317.0 | 10,101.7 | 10,017.6 | 10,194.6 | 0.7 |
45-49 | 9,968.8 | 10,362.4 | 10,145.5 | 10,059.5 | 10,236.6 | 0.7 |
50-54 | 9,860.0 | 10,255.5 | 10,047.5 | 9,968.4 | 10,150.8 | 0.7 |
55-59 | 9,666.9 | 10,065.7 | 9,872.5 | 9,805.6 | 9,996.4 | 0.8 |
60-64 | 9,327.0 | 9,723.9 | 9,549.0 | 9,496.2 | 9,693.4 | 1.0 |
65+ | 8,571.8 | 8,957.1 | 8,818.6 | 8,793.8 | 9,002.9 | 1.2 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
Average Gross Income | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | CAGR* % 2021-2025 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All working ages | 9,505.1 | 9,733.7 | 9,997.5 | 10,262.8 | 10,513.2 | 2.6 |
15-19 | 6,188.6 | 6,361.1 | 6,557.9 | 6,755.5 | 6,940.5 | 2.9 |
20-24 | 8,137.0 | 8,351.7 | 8,598.5 | 8,847.0 | 9,079.5 | 2.8 |
25-29 | 9,210.9 | 9,435.8 | 9,697.4 | 9,961.5 | 10,208.6 | 2.6 |
30-34 | 9,876.5 | 10,100.2 | 10,363.6 | 10,630.3 | 10,879.9 | 2.4 |
35-39 | 10,414.3 | 10,637.5 | 10,902.9 | 11,172.0 | 11,424.1 | 2.3 |
40-44 | 10,598.2 | 10,818.7 | 11,082.3 | 11,350.0 | 11,600.8 | 2.3 |
45-49 | 10,641.1 | 10,861.6 | 11,125.6 | 11,393.6 | 11,644.8 | 2.3 |
50-54 | 10,557.4 | 10,780.0 | 11,045.7 | 11,315.1 | 11,567.8 | 2.3 |
55-59 | 10,406.4 | 10,633.1 | 10,902.2 | 11,174.7 | 11,430.3 | 2.4 |
60-64 | 10,102.6 | 10,333.2 | 10,604.7 | 10,879.3 | 11,136.7 | 2.5 |
65+ | 9,404.2 | 9,634.2 | 9,902.4 | 10,173.0 | 10,426.6 | 2.6 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
Food and beverage preferences and expenditures
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in global economic slowdown recently, per capita consumer expenditure on all products increased at a CAGR of 16.0% from 2016 to 2020. In 2020, per capita consumer expenditure was US$407,056, 21.3% of which was spent on food.
Per capita expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages had a positive CAGR (15.7%) from 2016 to 2020. This expenditure is expected to continue to grow at a CAGR of 13.8% from 2021 to 2025. Per capita expenditure on alcohol and tobacco grew from 2016 to 2020 at a CAGR of 15.6% and will continue to grow at a CAGR of 14.1% from 2021 to 2025. Per capita expenditure on bread and cereals accounts for the largest share (20.0% share in 2020) of what Turkish consumers spend on food. The other food category is the fastest growing with a CAGR of 22.5% from 2016 to 2020 and is expected to slowdown to a CAGR of 14.3% from 2021 to 2025.
Expenditure | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | CAGR* % 2016-2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total consumer expenditure on all products | 225,095 | 264,955 | 302,784 | 349,612 | 407,056 | 16.0 |
Expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages | 48,523.2 | 55,565.4 | 64,280.5 | 74,169.0 | 86,894.6 | 15.7 |
Expenditure on food | 45,099.6 | 51,818.8 | 59,765.3 | 68,952.2 | 80,772.4 | 15.7 |
Bread and cereals | 9,458.7 | 11,179.1 | 12,058.1 | 13,902.9 | 16,128.8 | 14.3 |
Vegetables | 8,280.5 | 8,332.9 | 11,083.3 | 13,296.0 | 15,651.3 | 17.3 |
Meat | 8,788.4 | 11,107.1 | 11,519.0 | 13,248.3 | 15,610.7 | 15.4 |
Milk, cheese and eggs | 6,070.0 | 7,423.6 | 8,924.2 | 10,366.0 | 12,171.4 | 19.0 |
Fruit | 4,729.4 | 5,191.4 | 6,580.7 | 7,019.8 | 8,216.1 | 14.8 |
Sugar and confectionery | 3,314.7 | 3,796.6 | 4,044.5 | 4,566.5 | 5,327.0 | 12.6 |
Oils and Fats | 2,798.5 | 2,966.9 | 3,430.0 | 3,937.3 | 4,598.8 | 13.2 |
Other food | 814.3 | 945.3 | 1,033.5 | 1,550.8 | 1,831.8 | 22.5 |
Fish and Seafood | 845.1 | 875.9 | 1,092.1 | 1,064.6 | 1,236.4 | 10.0 |
Expenditure on non-alcoholic beverages | 3,423.6 | 3,746.6 | 4,515.2 | 5,216.9 | 6,122.2 | 15.6 |
Expenditure on alcohol and tabacco | 7,555.1 | 9,121.1 | 9,923.6 | 11,659.2 | 13,515.1 | 15.6 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
Expenditure | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | CAGR* % 2019-2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total consumer expenditure on all products | 498,045 | 580,670 | 667,245 | 754,992 | 840,285 | 14.0 |
Expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages | 106,251 | 123,318 | 141,471 | 160,102 | 178,129 | 13.8 |
Expenditure on food | 98,767.7 | 114,648 | 131,547 | 148,893 | 165,672 | 13.8 |
Bread and cereals | 19,618.3 | 22,716.2 | 26,044.2 | 29,424.6 | 32,650.0 | 13.6 |
Vegetables | 19,189.1 | 22,309.2 | 25,619.3 | 29,031.0 | 32,359.4 | 14.0 |
Meat | 19,122.5 | 22,186.4 | 25,437.5 | 28,798.7 | 32,070.7 | 13.8 |
Milk, cheese and eggs | 14,928.7 | 17,377.9 | 19,949.9 | 22,590.2 | 25,142.8 | 13.9 |
Fruit | 10,055.0 | 11,692.4 | 13,432.1 | 15,218.0 | 16,951.8 | 13.9 |
Sugar and confectionery | 6,488.9 | 7,507.4 | 8,595.4 | 9,713.1 | 10,798.3 | 13.6 |
Oils and Fats | 5,600.7 | 6,470.8 | 7,420.6 | 8,393.9 | 9,324.4 | 13.6 |
Other food | 2,254.9 | 2,631.6 | 3,033.0 | 3,445.8 | 3,847.8 | 14.3 |
Fish and Seafood | 1,509.7 | 1,755.8 | 2,014.9 | 2,277.3 | 2,526.9 | 13.7 |
Expenditure on non-alcoholic beverages | 7,482.8 | 8,669.7 | 9,924.4 | 11,209.3 | 12,457.1 | 13.6 |
Expenditure on alcohol and tabacco | 16,478.1 | 19,163.8 | 22,072.3 | 25,065.1 | 27,961.8 | 14.1 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2021 CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
Consumer trends
Food and beverages
Turkish dishes contain primarily meat, vegetables and legumes. A great number of meals are of soupy consistency containing some sort of stock or stew. As a result they consume a large amount of bread. Dishes forming trademark Turkish cuisine include Turkish kebabs, döner kebab, Turkish ravioli and a great number of eggplant dishes.
The most popular dish in Turkey is by far Kebap. The word kebap simply means "roasted", it is a cooked meat dish with many different varieties. They are made using lamb, chicken, beef, and sometimes chestnuts which are either minced, cubes or thinly sliced and plated or wrapped. They are commonly served along with sauces, salads and turşu (pickled vegetables). Some of the most common types of kebap are Adana, which is a spiced minced beef skewered and cooked over fire, Urfa, a less spicy version of Adana, Şiş (Shish), square cut lamb or chicken which is skewered and grilled, and Doner which has seen recent worldwide popularity and is thin slices of lamb or chicken cut from a rotating meat stack served in a wrap or bread with tomato mayonnaise or yoghurt along with a salad.
Other popular Turkish dish include Köfte, spiced minced meat in rolls and fried served commonly with hot red peppers. İmam bayıldı, eggplant cut a fried in olive then stuffed with tomato, onion, garlic and herbs. Dolma, translates to stuffed, is peppers, zucchini, vine leaves, cabbage leaves or chard leaves stuffed with beef, spices and rice in a tomato paste. Manti, a "Turkish ravioli" is a filled with a spiced meat mixture usually lamb or beef and steamed to boiled. Lahmacun, a round dough covered with minced meat, vegetables and herbs.
Popular beverages are tea, coffee and Ayran. Tea is commonly served during breakfast and offered throught almost there entire day and especially during special occations. Drinking coffee is consumed frequently after meals. As for cold beverages Aayran is the most popular among turks. It is a yoghurt drink mixed with water and sometimes topped with fresh mint.
Turkey is also home to many pastries and sugary desserts. Popular Turkish desserts include baklava, layered pastry filled with chopped nuts syrup or honey, sütlü nuriye, similar to baklava but uses milk instead of syrup or honey, ekmek kadayıfı, Turkish bread pudding.
Halal certification in Turkey: Halal means lawful or permitted and "non halal" (haram) means prohibited as per Islamic law (Sharia). Having traces of pork, slaughtering animals in a non-Islamic way and the presence of alcohol in food products, among other things, are not allowed according to Islamic law. Despite Sharia law playing no role in the judicial system of Turkey 98.5% of Turks identify as Muslim and would be expected to consume halal products.
Demand for health and wellness products is on the rise
There is an increasing demand for healthy food and organic products. Supermarkets and grocery stores have started to accommodate these requests by creating separate sections within their stores for healthy and organic products. Consumers are also seeking products for specific food intolerances such as diabetes and celiac disease. Supermarkets have also created space for diabetic and gluten-free products on their shelves.
The composition of Turkey's population will continue to play a role in demand for products in supermarkets. It is expected that over the next few years, ethnic food will continue to grow and gain market share in supermarkets as workers seek food from home and residents seek to try new products.
Driven by Turkey's increasing income and affluence and by the global trend toward eating healthy, including natural ingredients and quality food, Turkish customers have increased their consumption of health and wellness products at a CAGR of 21.0% from 2016 to 2020, in particular in the free from products at a CAGR of 35.2%, followed by organic at a CAGR of 27.8%, better for you (BFY) at a CAGR of 22.1%, fortified/functional (FF) at a CAGR of 21.6% and naturally healthy (NH) at a CAGR of 20.4%. All five categories in the HW sector will grow from 2021 to 2025, with organic food growing the fastest at a CAGR of 20.0%.
Category | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | CAGR* % 2016-2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total health and wellness | 3,195.3 | 3,732.1 | 4,562.1 | 5,525.7 | 6,857.2 | 21.0 |
Naturally healthy (NH) | 2,544.0 | 2,956.9 | 3,587.9 | 4,293.5 | 5,353.1 | 20.4 |
Fortified/functional (FF) | 332.5 | 391.1 | 493.1 | 612.9 | 726.2 | 21.6 |
Better for you (BFY) | 219.3 | 246.1 | 312.7 | 391.2 | 487.8 | 22.1 |
Organic | 63.0 | 77.9 | 90.4 | 129.6 | 168.1 | 27.8 |
Free from | 36.5 | 60.1 | 78.0 | 98.5 | 122.0 | 35.2 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
Category | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | CAGR* % 2021-2025 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total health and wellness | 7,983.9 | 9,154.9 | 10,499.7 | 12,014.4 | 13,803.8 | 14.7 |
Naturally Healthy (NH) | 6,215.8 | 7,079.6 | 8,085.3 | 9,217.9 | 10,566.4 | 14.2 |
Fortified/Functional (FF) | 827.9 | 945.5 | 1,069.8 | 1,206.6 | 1,360.5 | 13.2 |
Better For You (BFY) | 585.5 | 699.2 | 829.8 | 982.7 | 1,163.1 | 18.7 |
Organic | 207.6 | 255.3 | 308.9 | 365.4 | 429.9 | 20.0 |
Free From | 147.1 | 175.3 | 205.9 | 241.8 | 283.9 | 17.9 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
For more information
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For additional information on Gulfood, please contact:
Ben Berry, Deputy Director
Trade Show Strategy and Delivery
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ben.berry@agr.gc.ca
Resources
- Euromonitor, Turkey in 2040: The Future Demongraphic, 2021
- Euromonitor, Households: Turkey, 2021
- Euromonitor, Business Dynamics Turkey, 2020
- World Bank, Ease of doing business rank, 2021
- Euromonitor, Income and Expenditure, Turkey, 2021
- World Food Instanbul, Turkish Food, Culture & Cuisine
- Turkish Cuisine, Wikipedia
Consumer Profile – Turkey
Global Analysis Report
Prepared by: Jason Moors, Market Analyst
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