1.7 Million Women in Turkey Are Caring for the Sick and Children at Home
Konda Barometer has compiled data on “Women’s Labor Force Participation” exclusively for EKONOMİ newspaper. According to this data, 1.7 million women in Turkey are at home taking care of the sick and children.
According to the January 2025 Barometer data, the adult population over 15 years old in Turkey is nearly 34 million. Of this population, 8.2 million are employed. 8.8 million are housewives, and 7.4 million are either retired, students, or unable to work due to illness. Additionally, 3.4 million are not seeking work.
One striking finding from the survey, when compared with TÜİK data, draws attention to a significant issue awaiting Turkey. According to the 2023 TÜİK Address-Based Population Registration System data, Turkey’s population is aging rapidly, which presents a serious challenge: elderly care. The Konda Barometer report highlights a number that reflects this issue. Outside of the reasons mentioned above, 1,686,057 women in Turkey are unable to search for work because they are at home caring for the sick and children.
The report was conducted by KONDA Research and Consulting Inc. for Konda Barometer subscribers. The fieldwork of the research was carried out on January 11-12, 2025, reflecting the political inclinations, preferences, and profiles of the adult population over 15 in Turkey on the days the survey was conducted.
The level of education is one of the biggest factors influencing women’s participation in employment. Among the employed women, 44% hold university degrees. Among women who are not part of the labor force, nearly two-thirds have less than a high school education.
