Editing Demographics of Turkey (section)

== Religion ==
{{Further|Religion in Turkey}}
{{See also|Freedom of religion in Turkey|Secularism in Turkey}}

Turkey has officially been a [[Secular state|secular country]] since its [[Turkish Constitution of 1924|1924 constitution]] was amended in 1928. This was later strengthened and entrenched with the wider appliance of [[laicism]] by founder Atatürk during the mid-1930s, as part of the [[Atatürk's reforms|Republican reforms]].

There are no official statistics of people's religious beliefs nor is it asked in the census. According to the [[United States Department of State]]'s [[International Religious Freedom Act of 1998|International Religious Freedom Report]] 2008, the Turkish government considers 99 percent of the population is [[Islam|Muslim]], the majority of which is [[Hanafi school|Hanafi Sunni]].<ref name=IRF2008>[https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108476.htm International Religious Freedom Report 2008] U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2009-09-15.</ref> A similar figure can be found in the current US [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) [[the World Factbook]] (99.8%).<ref name="cia"/> The remaining 0.2% is other - mostly Christians and Jews.<ref name="cia"/> However, these are based on the existing religion information written on every citizen's national [[Identity document|id card]], that is automatically passed on from the parents to every newborn, and do not necessarily represent individual choice. Religious records can be changed or even blanked on the request of citizen, by filing an [[E-Government in Turkey|e-government]] application since May 2020, using a valid [[electronic signature]] to sign the electronic application. Any change in religion records additionally results in a new ID card being issued. Any change in religion record also leaves a permanent trail in the [[census]] record, however, record of change of religion is not accessible except for the citizen in question, next-of-kins of the citizen in question, the citizenship administration and courts.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-23|title=e-Devlet'te yeni hizmet: Din değişikliği yapılabilecek|url=https://www.a3haber.com/2020/05/23/e-devlette-yeni-hizmet-din-degisikligi-yapilabilecek/|access-date=2020-11-07|website=A3 Haber|language=tr|archive-date=22 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122120826/https://www.a3haber.com/2020/05/23/e-devlette-yeni-hizmet-din-degisikligi-yapilabilecek/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

In 2023, according to [[Ipsos]], 83% are Muslim, 12% have [[Irreligion|no religion]], 2% prefer not to say, 2% are Christian and 2% are other religions.<ref name=Ipsos2023>{{Cite web|date=May 2023|title=Global Religion – Religious Beliefs Across the World|url=https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2023-05/Ipsos%20Global%20Advisor%20-%20Religion%202023%20Report%20-%2026%20countries.pdf|access-date=22 September 2024|website=Ipsos|archive-date=12 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512183356/https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2023-05/Ipsos%20Global%20Advisor%20-%20Religion%202023%20Report%20-%2026%20countries.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In a similar survey in 2016, Islam comprised 82% of the total population (65% Sunni and 4% [[Shia Islam|Shi'a]]), followed by 7% no religion, 6% [[Spirituality|Spiritual]] but not religious, 4% [[Atheism]], 3% [[Agnosticism]], 2% Christian, 1% [[Protestantism]], 1% [[Buddhism]], 1% [[Mahayana]] and 1% other.<ref name=Ipsos2017>{{cite web|date=2017|title=Religion|url=https://www.ipsosglobaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Slide13-6.jpg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905105138/https://www.ipsosglobaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Slide13-6.jpg|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-09-05|access-date=22 September 2024|publisher=Ipsos}}</ref>

In 2018, a poll conducted by [[Eurobarometer]] and [[KONDA Research and Consultancy]] and some other research institutes showed that 3% of those interviewed had no religion.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-03|title=KONDA Toplumsal Değişim Raporu: Türkiye'de inançsızlık yükselişte|url=https://tr.euronews.com/2019/01/03/konda-nin-toplumsal-degisim-raporuna-gore-turkiye-de-inancsizlik-yukseliste|access-date=2020-11-07|website=euronews|language=tr}}</ref><ref>[[:tr:Türkiye demografisi#N.C3.BCfus Piramidi]]{{Circular reference|date=May 2019}}</ref> In 2013, the same institutions showed that around 0.5% of the population had no religion. 

Between 8 million<ref>{{cite book|title=The Alevis in Turkey: The Emergence of a Secular Islamic Tradition|first=David|last=Shankland|publisher=Routledge (UK)|year=2003|isbn=0-7007-1606-8|url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=lFFRzTqLp6AC |page=1 }} }}</ref> and 20 million Turks are [[Alevism|Alevis]].<ref name=IRF2008/>

In 2006, in a poll conducted by [[Sabancı University]], 98.3% of Turks revealed they were Muslim.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-02-02|title=Ankette Mezhep Soruları|url=http://www.selendi.com/forum/ankette-mezhep-sorulari-t4816.0.html;wap2=|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202012548/http://www.selendi.com/forum/ankette-mezhep-sorulari-t4816.0.html;wap2=|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-02-02|access-date=2020-11-07|website=archive.vn}}</ref>
In 2005, a Eurobarometer poll on Europeans views on [[Research ethics|ethics in science]] and technology reported 95% of Turkish citizens answered that "they believe there is a God", while about 2% responded "I believe there is so me sort of spirit or life force", about 1% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force" and about 1% "DK" (that they don't know).<ref name="Eurobarometer">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf |title=Social values, Science and Technology|date=June 2005|access-date=2007-12-18 |publisher=[[Eurobarometer]]|url-status=dead |page=9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524004644/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf |archive-date=2006-05-24 }}</ref> Similar figures were found in some other European countries.<ref name="Eurobarometer"/>

There is concern over the future of the [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox Patriarchate]], which suffers from a lack of trained [[clergy]] due to the closure of the [[Halki seminary]]. The state does not recognise the Ecumenical status of the [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fener Rum Patrikhanesinin "ekümeniklik" İddiasına İlişkin Basın Açıklamamız |url=http://www.fatih.gov.tr/fener-rum-patrikhanesinin-ekumeniklik-iddiasina-iliskin-basin-aciklamamiz |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=www.fatih.gov.tr}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="clear:both"
|+ Muslim and non-Muslim population in Turkey, 1914–2005 (in thousands)<ref name="İçduygu2008"/>
! Year
! 1914
! 1927
! 1945
! 1965
! 1990
! 2005
|-
! Muslims
| 12,941
| 13,290
| 18,511
| 31,139
| 56,860
| 71,997
|-
! Greeks
| 1,549
| 110
| 104
| 76
| 8
| 3
|-
! Armenians
| 1,204
| 77
| 60
| 64
| 67
| 50
|-
! Jews
| 128
| 82
| 77
| 38
| 29
| 27
|-
! Others
| 176
| 71
| 38
| 74
| 50
| 45
|- style="font-weight: bold"
! Total
| 15,997
| 13,630
| 18,790
| 31,391
| 57,005
| 72,120
|- style="font-weight: bold"
! Percentage non-Muslim
| 19.1
| 2.5
| 1.5
| 0.8
| 0.3
| 0.2
|}

The percentage of non-Muslims in Turkey fell from 19.1% in 1914 to 2.5% percent in 1927.<ref name="İçduygu2008">{{cite journal|last1=İçduygu|first1=Ahmet|last2=Toktaş|first2=Şule|last3=Ali Soner|first3=B|title=The politics of population in a nation-building process: emigration of non-Muslims from Turkey|journal=Ethnic and Racial Studies|url=https://www.academia.edu/761694|date=1 February 2008|volume=31|issue=2|pages=358–389|doi=10.1080/01419870701491937|s2cid=143541451|access-date=27 May 2020|archive-date=25 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325053206/https://www.academia.edu/761694/The_Politics_of_Population_in_a_Nation_Building_Process_Emigration_of_Non-Muslims_from_Turkey|url-status=live}}</ref> The drop was the result of the [[late Ottoman genocides]], the [[population exchange between Greece and Turkey]]<ref>{{citation |title= Chapter ''The refugees question in Greece (1821–1930)'' in "''Θέματα Νεοελληνικής Ιστορίας''", ΟΕΔΒ (''"Topics from Modern Greek History"''). 8th edition (PDF) |publisher=Nikolaos Andriotis |year=2008}}</ref> and the [[Christian emigration|emigration of Christians]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.meforum.org/487/editors-introduction-why-a-special-issue|format=PDF|title='Editors' Introduction: Why a Special Issue?: Disappearing Christians of the Middle East|journal=Middle East Quarterly|publisher=Editors' Introduction|access-date=11 June 2013|year=2001|last1=Quarterly|first1=Middle East|archive-date=11 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511085730/http://www.meforum.org/487/editors-introduction-why-a-special-issue|url-status=live}}</ref> The 1942 [[Varlık Vergisi|Wealth Tax]] on non-Muslims, the emigration of many of Turkish Jews to Israel after 1948, and the 1955 [[Istanbul pogrom]] further contributed to the decline of Turkey's non-Muslim population.

=== Religiosity ===

In 2018, according to a KONDA survey, the [[religiosity]] was the following:<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-03|title=KONDA Toplumsal Değişim Raporu: Türkiye'de inançsızlık yükselişte|url=https://tr.euronews.com/2019/01/03/konda-nin-toplumsal-degisim-raporuna-gore-turkiye-de-inancsizlik-yukseliste|access-date=2020-08-04|website=euronews|language=tr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hayat Tarzı – 10 Yılda Ne Değişti?|url=https://interaktif.konda.com.tr/tr/HayatTarzlari2018/#7thPage/1|access-date=2020-08-04|website=interaktif.konda.com.tr}}</ref>
*'''51%''' defined themselves as ''"a religious person who strives to fulfill religious obligations''" (Religious)
*'''34%''' defined themselves as ''"a believer who does not fulfill religious obligations"'' (Not religious).
*'''10%''' defined themselves as ''"a fully devout person fulfilling all religious obligations"'' (Fully devout).
*'''2%''' defined themselves as "''someone who does not believe in religious obligations"'' (Non-believer).
*'''3%''' defined themselves as "''someone with no religious conviction"'' (Atheist).
Among those aged between 15 and 29 years old:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hayat Tarzı – 10 Yılda Gençlerde Ne Değişti?|url=https://interaktif.konda.com.tr/tr/Gencler2018/#secondPage/3|access-date=2020-08-04|website=interaktif.konda.com.tr}}</ref>

* '''43%''' defined themselves as ''"a religious person who strives to fulfill religious obligations''" (Religious)
*'''45%''' defined themselves as ''"a believer who does not fulfill religious obligations"'' (Not religious).
*'''5%''' defined themselves as ''"a fully devout person fulfilling all religious obligations"'' (Fully devout).
*'''4%''' defined themselves as "''someone who does not believe in religious obligations"'' (Non-believer).
*'''4%''' defined themselves as "''someone with no religious conviction"'' (Atheist).

According to the 2007 KONDA survey:<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.konda.com.tr/html/dosyalar/ghdl&t_en.pdf |title=Religion, Secularism and the Veil in daily life |author=KONDA Research and Consultancy |newspaper=Milliyet |date=2007-09-08 |page=26|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325005232/http://www.konda.com.tr/html/dosyalar/ghdl%26t_en.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-25 }}</ref>
* '''52.8%''' defined themselves as ''"a religious person who strives to fulfill religious obligations''" (Religious)
* '''34.3 %''' defined themselves as ''"a believer who does not fulfill religious obligations"'' (Not religious).
* '''9.7%''' defined themselves as ''"a fully devout person fulfilling all religious obligations"'' (Fully devout).
* '''2.3%''' defined themselves as "''someone who does not believe in religious obligations"'' (Non-believer).
* '''0.9%''' defined themselves as "''someone with no religious conviction"'' (Atheist).
In a 2006 [[Pew Research Center]] survey, 69% of Turkey's Muslims said that "religion is very important in their lives".<ref>{{cite web |title=Lebanon's Muslims: Relatively Secular and Pro-Christian |url=http://pewresearch.org/pubs/41/lebanons-muslims-relatively-secular-and-pro-christian |last1=Wike |first1=Richard |author2=Juliana Menasce Horowitz |date=26 July 2006 |publisher=Pew Global Attitudes Project}}</ref> Based on the Gallup Poll 2006–08, Turkey was defined as ''More religious'', in which over 63 percent of people believe religion is important.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/114211/Alabamians-Iranians-Common.aspx |title=2009 Gallup poll Gallup Poll |date=9 February 2009 |publisher=Gallup.com |access-date=2014-06-17}}</ref><ref>[https://worldview.gallup.com/default.aspx Gallup World View] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019123605/https://worldview.gallup.com/default.aspx |date=October 19, 2013 }}</ref>  

Around 2007, according to the [[Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation]], 62% of women wore the headscarf or [[hijab]] in Turkey.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1752230.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727001915/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1752230.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 July 2008 |title=Head scarves to topple secular Turkey? |first=Christina |last=Lamb |date=2007-04-23 | location=London | work=The Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1752230.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727001915/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1752230.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 July 2008 |title=Headscarf war threatens to split Turkey |work=Times Online |date=2007-05-06 | location=London | first1=Christina | last1=Lamb}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2007/04/23/headscarf/ |title=Head scarves to topple secular Turkey? |work=[[Salon.com]] |first=Tracy
|last=Clark-Flory |access-date=2008-08-04 |date=2007-04-23}}</ref>

=== Headscarf ===

The survey reported that 44.5% of women who lived in metropolitan areas wore the headscarf, increasing to 62.8% in towns and 74.1% in the countryside. There was also an increase in the percentage of women wearing headscarves going from west to east across the country. <ref>[https://jamestown.org/program/poll-suggests-levels-of-piety-unchanged-headscarf-still-indicator-of-socioeconomic-status-in-turkey/ Jamestown Foundation, 2013]</ref>


{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Headscarf Usage by Age Group in Turkey (KONDA, 2013)
|-
! Age Group !! Percentage Wearing Headscarf (%)
|-
| 18–27 || 43.8%
|-
| 28–43 || 65.4%
|-
| 44+   || 76.1%
|}


{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Headscarf Usage by Education Level in Turkey (KONDA, 2013)
|-
! Education Level !! Percentage Wearing Headscarf (%)
|-
| University graduate || 11.3%
|-
| High school         || 24.5%
|-
| Middle school       || 56.1%
|-
| Elementary school   || 79.7%
|-
| Not completed elementary school || 90.8%
|}


{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Headscarf Usage by Region in Turkey (KONDA, 2013)
|-
! Region !! Percentage Wearing Headscarf (%)
|-
| Aegean || 50.3%
|-
| Marmara (includes Istanbul) || 51.2%
|-
| Mediterranean Coast || 54.8%
|-
| Central Anatolia || 67.4%
|-
| Eastern Anatolia || 70.3%
|-
| Eastern Black Sea Coast || 74.5%
|-
| South East (mainly Kurdish areas) || 84.6%
|}