Turkey’s average household size shrank to 3.3 persons in 2020 from 4 in 2008, Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced. One-person households in the country increased to 17.9% in 2020 from 16.9% in 2019, and 13.9% in 2014, TurkStat noted.
Meanwhile, extended-family households dropped to 14% in 2020 from 16.7% in 2014. The proportion of multi-person and no-family households also rose to 2.8% in 2020 from 2.1% in 2014.
Endogamy shows a decrease
The ratio of one-family households, a couple without children, a couple with at least one child, or a single parent with at least one child, dropped to 65.2% in 2020, from 67.4% in 2014. Marriages between first cousins showed a steady decline to 3.8% in 2020 from 4.8% in 2015, and 5.9% in 2010.
An overwhelming majority of people, 69.7%, said their families made them happiest in 2020. “While the proportion of males who mentioned that their families made them happiest was 74.9%, this proportion was 64.5% for females,” it indicated.
28% live below the poverty threshold
The results of income and living conditions survey for 2019 showed that 27.7% of extended families lived below the poverty threshold. The expenditures on housing and rent had the biggest share in total consumption expenditures with a rate of 24.1%, according to the results of 2019 household budget survey.
This was followed by expenditures on food and non-alcoholic beverages with 20.8% and transportation with 16.5%. Health expenses had the lowest share with 2.2%, education 2.5%, and entertainment 3.1%.
