A child starting primary school in Türkiye today is expected to spend an average of 17.2 years in education, according to the latest data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). This journey includes roughly 1.5 years in pre-primary education and nearly 12 years through secondary schooling.
However, the length of schooling varies greatly across the country. In Istanbul and Karabük, children can expect to study for as long as 19 years, reflecting strong access to educational resources. Bayburt, Rize, Ankara, Erzincan, and Tunceli also report averages above 18 years. By contrast, in southeastern provinces such as Şanlıurfa and Şırnak, the average falls to just 14.4 years, with Muş, Ağrı, and Mardin close behind. These differences highlight the persistence of regional inequalities in education.
Gender trends also shape the picture. Although overall expected schooling time fell slightly in 2024—by 3.8% for boys and 3% for girls—girls still stay in school longer on average. Provinces such as Tunceli, Karabük, Istanbul, Ankara, and Rize lead in girls’ education, while boys in Bayburt, Karabük, Istanbul, Erzincan, and Ankara record the longest schooling durations. On the other hand, boys in Ağrı, Şırnak, Muş, Şanlıurfa, and Mardin, and girls in Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Muş, Ağrı, and Mardin, face the shortest education paths.
Encouragingly, the gender equality index, which measures the ratio of girls’ to boys’ schooling, has improved from 0.97 in 2018 to 1.05 in 2024. This progress shows that girls are gaining stronger access to education, although gaps remain in provinces like Şanlıurfa, Bitlis, Siirt, Erzurum, and Muş.
Education in Türkiye: New Report Reveals 17-Year Average Schooling Path
