Regarding Istanbul, you may have some questions in your mind, especially if you are planning to visit this city. For example, you may be curious to learn about Istanbul population. If that is the case, you may want to keep reading, as we will be discussing this topic on this blog post.
Istanbul is a city with a fairly high population level, even though it is not the most populated city in the world. The city has historically been an important location and its population has been quite high at various points in the history. Today, if we consider the population within the limits of the city, Istanbul is the most populated city in Europe, followed by other highly populated cities like Moscow and London.
There are various topics to talk about when discussing Istanbul population, such as the history of the city’s population, various demographic factors and so on… On this blog post we will try to touch on some of these subjects. So, in case Istanbul’s population is a topic that you are interested in, get ready to dive in and learn about this subject!
Table of Contents
What is Istanbul Population in 2024?
About Istanbul population, there are various subjects to talk about, like the history of the city’s population. On this section, we are going to take a look at the current population of Istanbul. So, what is the population of Istanbul in 2024?
Istanbul’s current population is estimated to be around 15,655,000. So the city’s current population is over 15 million. Also according to some figures, the city’s population may even be around 16 million. The city’s population got to this point from around 1 million in 1950. In 1980, Istanbul’s population was around 2.8 million and this number reached around 5.4 million in 1985, displaying roughly 14% increase in a five year period.
During the 4th century, the population of the city was around 300 thousand, which means that even in the ancient times, the city was quite populated. Through centuries, the city’s population fluctuated a bit and in 1453, it was around 45 thousand. Then during the Ottoman times, there were periods of population increase in Istanbul.
In 2000, the city’s population was reaching almost 9 million and it went past 11 million in 2007. Between 2007 and 2015, there was around 3.45% increase in Istanbul’s population, reaching over 14 million.
Also Read: Is Istanbul A Good Place to Live for EU Citizens? Discover in 7 Answers
Is Istanbul the Biggest City in the World in Terms of Population?
With a population of over 15 million, Istanbul is a fairly crowded city. So, as Istanbul has quite a high population level, you may be wondering whether it is the most populated city in the whole world or not.
Although Istanbul is a very populated city, it is not the most populated city in the world. As we have briefly mentioned previously on this blog post, Istanbul is the most populated city in the world. But this is the case when we take into account the population within the limits of the city. When we consider the metropolitan area, for instance, Moscow is more populated than Istanbul.
There are many other cities that are more populated than Istanbul, in various countries. The most populated city in the world is Tokyo, with its metropolitan population being over 37 million. Also, there are multiple cities in India and China that are more populated than Istanbul. Moreover, some other cities such as Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Cairo and Dhaka have higher population levels compared to Istanbul.
Basically, Istanbul is not the biggest city in the world in terms of population. However, it is still a highly populated city and it is the most populated city in Turkey. As a city with a population over 15 million, Istanbul is thought to be approximately 15th biggest city in the world, in terms of population.
Also Read: Istanbul Travel Itinerary: An Amazing 7-Day Trip Plan
Is Istanbul Population Bigger Than New York? Is Istanbul Bigger Than London? Which City is Bigger, Moscow or Istanbul?
Istanbul is a fairly big city when it comes to population level. On this post, we previously mentioned that Istanbul is the largest city in Europe, when we consider the population level with the limits of the city. Now on this section, let’s compare Istanbul to some specific cities in Europe, namely Moscow and London. In addition to those, we will compare the population of New York with Istanbul population as well.
The city population of Moscow is around 13 million, with its urban population over 18 million and metro population over 21 million. Therefore, if we compare the city population of Moscow with Istanbul population, we can say that Istanbul is more populated. However, when considering the urban and metro population of Moscow, Moscow is more populated than Istanbul.
How about another highly populated city in Europe, London? Is London more populated than Istanbul? London’s city population is around 8.7 million, while its urban population is approximately 9.7 million and the metro population of London is roughly 14.8 million. This means that Istanbul is more populated than London.
New York City has a population of around 8.8 million, while its urban population is over 19 million and its metro population is more than 20 million. So in terms of city population, Istanbul is more populated, but if we consider the urban and metro population of NYC, New York City is more populated than Istanbul.
Also Read: Istanbul vs New York City: Comparing These Two Cities in 8 Important Areas
Why is Istanbul So Big in Terms of Population?
Have you been wondering why Istanbul population is so big? So let’s try to figure out the reason behind the high population of this wonderful city. Istanbul has historically been a highly populated city. Some of the reasons behind this can be the commercial and strategic importance of this city, as well as the potential opportunities attracting some people to this place.
As far back as the Byzantine period, the city had periods of high population, with its population reaching levels as high as 500 thousand. In the Ottoman times, the city had varying population in different periods, but as the year reached 1900, the city’s population was over 900 thousand.
In 1960, Istanbul population was around 1.4 million. And in the following periods, there were significant increases to the city’s population, which reached over 14 million in 2015. Some of the reasons behind the high population of Istanbul can be migration from other cities in Turkey, Istanbul being an important location for economic activity, etc.
Istanbul Demographic Info (Religions and Ethnicities)
Regarding Istanbul population, another topic of discussion can be various demographic info about this city, like the religious and ethnic groups which live in Istanbul. Being a Turkish city, most of Istanbul’s population is Muslim. While most of the Muslims in Istanbul are Sunni, some of the Muslims in the city follow Alevism. Aside from Muslims, there are some Christians and Jews in Istanbul, as well.
Moreover, there are non-believers in Istanbul, which may comprise of around 4% to 8% of the population, while the actual ratio of non-believers in Istanbul may be lower or higher than this range. The largest ethnic group in Istanbul is Turks, and there are various minority groups in the city such as Kurds and Arabs.
Istanbul Population Language: What Language is Spoken by Istanbul’s People?
Concerning Istanbul population, another important topic to discuss can be the languages spoken in Istanbul. The most widely spoken language in Istanbul is the Turkish language, since Istanbul is a city in Turkey.
Aside from Turkish, there are some other languages spoken in Istanbul, like Arabic and Kurdish. In addition, speakers of languages such as English, German and Russian can be found in Istanbul, as well.
Istanbul Population Rank
What is Istanbul population rank compared to other cities in the world? While Istanbul is a highly populated city, there are numerous other cities in the world that are more populated than Istanbul, such as Tokyo, Delhi and Shanghai.
It is thought that Istanbul is roughly the 15th most populated city in the world. The cities that are close to Istanbul’s rank in terms of population include places such as Buenos Aires (~13th) in Argentina, Chongqing (~14h) in China, Kolkata (~16th) in India and Manila (~17th) in Philippines.
Also Read: Istanbul Population Info (6+ Questions and Answers)
Is Istanbul Overpopulated?
Istanbul is a fairly populated city. When you visit this city, this can be something that you notice. As a result of this, concerning Istanbul population, another question that you may have in your mind can be: is Istanbul an overpopulated city?
We can consider Istanbul to be an overpopulated city. As the urban area of Istanbul is around 2500 square km and the city’s urban population is over 15 million, Istanbul has an urban population density of around 5900/square km. Although it may not be as high as some cities in the world, Istanbul is quite a crowded city.
Istanbul Population Final Words
On this blog post, we talked about some topics regarding Istanbul population and tried to give some info. We hope that you have learned some of the basics of this subject. If you are curious to check out tips for Istanbul and more info regarding this city, make sure to take a look at our blog.