Turkey is facing a growing global problem: a declining birth rate. The number of babies being born reached an all-time low in 2024, of 1.48 children born per woman - that’s well below the replacement level of 2.10.
The country's President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is calling the drop in fertility rate "a disaster" and has declared 2025 the "Year of the Family", promising incentives for parents.
President Erdoğan is focusing on saving traditional family values, which he says are under threat, and is encouraging women to have at least three children. However, many in Turkey say it is the faltering economy - with inflation at around 35% - that is making it impossible to grow their families.
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(Picture: A mother holds her baby during a visit to Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkish Republic's Founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on National Sovereignty and Children's Day, a national holiday dedicated to children, in Ankara. Credit: Getty Images)