Turkey Sets New Record: 1 Billion Doctor Visits in 2025
📈 Doctor Visits in Turkey Surpass 1 Billion, Setting New Record
In 2024, the number of doctor visits in Turkey exceeded 1 billion, highlighting the record-high demand on the national healthcare system. For a country with around 85 million people, this means an average of more than 12 visits per person per year — the second highest in the world after South Korea.
📊 Key Statistic Since 2020, Turkey’s population grew by only 1.6%, while doctor visits increased by 57%.
Breakdown of Healthcare Visits
According to the Ministry of Health, the total number of consultations is distributed as follows:
- 450 million visits were to family doctors
- 580.6 million visits were to hospitals
Hospital Visits: Public vs. Private
Of the 580.6 million hospital visits:
- Public hospitals handled 466 million visits
- Private hospitals accounted for 66.2 million visits
- University clinics recorded 48.2 million visits
The country has 1,562 hospitals, including 941 public, 552 private, and 69 university hospitals. Over the past five years, 41 new public hospitals were opened, while 19 private hospitals closed, underscoring the growing role of public institutions.
Surgical Operations and Hospitalizations
In 2024, Turkey’s healthcare system:
- Hospitalized 13.8 million patients
- Performed 6.2 million surgeries
Public hospitals accounted for 8.2 million hospitalizations and 3.6 million surgeries, demonstrating their central role in the system.
Medical Imaging: Turkey Leads Globally
Turkey also leads in medical imaging procedures, with a total of 116.6 million exams. Public hospitals performed 88 million of these. MRI scans are especially notable:
🧠 MRI Scans: 20,315 per million people — nearly double Hungary’s rate.
Growing Pressure on Healthcare Workers
⚠️ Rising violence against medical staff has become a serious concern. Amid increasing pressure on the healthcare system, Turkish doctors have even started learning martial arts to protect themselves from violence in hospitals.
Summary
Turkey’s healthcare system shows enormous demand and the growing role of public institutions, making it one of the busiest in the world. With over 1 billion doctor visits annually and rapid growth in medical procedures, the system faces both achievements and significant challenges.
