All Countries
Largest Cities in Turkey
Top 100 cities ranked by largest cities
Best Turkey Cities
Composite rankings combining multiple weighted metrics — 4 topics from climate and air quality data.
Largest Cities — Turkey
The largest cities in Turkey represent major centers of economic activity, cultural influence, and population growth. Istanbul leads with a population of 15,701,602, followed by Ankara and Bursa. These cities serve as hubs for employment, education, and innovation, attracting residents from across the country and around the world.
Population size is a key indicator of a city's economic influence and infrastructure capacity. Larger cities typically offer more diverse job markets, extensive public transit systems, and a wider range of cultural amenities. The top 10 cities span multiple states, showing that urban growth is distributed across different regions.
While large populations bring economic advantages, they also present challenges including higher costs of living, traffic congestion, and housing affordability concerns. Many of these cities have experienced significant growth over the past decade, driven by job opportunities in technology, healthcare, and professional services.
Did You Know?
- 1. Istanbul's population is larger than that of more than 30 U.S. states.
- 2. The 50th largest city still has a population of 247,147 — larger than most cities worldwide.
- 3. The top 5 cities combined have a population of 27,389,341.