UN: Turkey’s Istanbul has population higher than 131 countries

Eminonu neighborhood of Fatih district in Istanbul, Turkey on 17 March 2019. [Arif Hüdaverdi Yaman – Anadolu Agency]

The population of Turkey’s biggest city of Istanbul is more than that of 131 countries in the world, according to the United Nations Population Fund.

With a population of 15 million residents, Istanbul is more crowded than 131 countries, including Belgium (11.5 million people), Greece (11.1 million people), Austria (8.8 million people), Switzerland (8.5 million people) and Bulgaria (7 million people).

In 2018, Turkey’s population grew to more than 82 million with 18.4 per cent living in Istanbul, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (Turkstat).

The city’s population has grown by 907,257 people over the past five years.

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