Türkiye is confidently progressing toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. A recent report “SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS INDICATORS RELATED TO CHILDREN” by TÜİK https://www.tuik.gov.tr/media/announcements/sdg_book_en.pdf confirms noticeable progress, while also highlighting that in certain areas — especially regarding children, youth, and social vulnerability — there remains strong potential for further growth and improvement.
What are the Sustainable Development Goals
The report is based on the global program of the United Nations, which includes 17 goals: from eliminating poverty to ensuring quality education and protecting the environment. These goals define the development direction of countries until 2030.
Poverty: Decline, but Risks Remain
On the one hand, Türkiye shows a decrease in extreme poverty — about 10–12% of the population lives below the international poverty line.
However, when considering a broader indicator — the risk of poverty and social exclusion — the situation looks more concerning:
-
nearly 29.3% of the population are at risk
-
among children, the figure is even higher — up to 39%
This means that nearly every third person is potentially economically vulnerable.
Children and Social Protection
The report pays special attention to children:
-
more than 253,000 children receive support outside the care system
-
about 15,000 children are in institutions
-
the foster family system is actively developing
This indicates an expansion of social support, but also highlights the scale of the problem.
Healthcare: A Strong Side of Türkiye
Here, the indicators look significantly better:
-
maternal mortality — 13.4 per 100,000 births
-
nearly 100% of births are attended by medical personnel
-
mortality of children under 5 is steadily decreasing
This is one of the most successful areas of the country's development.
Water and Infrastructure: Almost Ideal Results
Türkiye has almost achieved its goal for access to clean water:
-
98.8% of the population have access to safe drinking water
This is the level of developed countries and a serious achievement.
Energy: Growth with Nuances
-
76.1% of households are connected to natural gas
However, this is only part of the picture — the issue of sustainable and “green” energy remains open.
Youth
One of the most alarming indicators:
-
22.9% of youth (aged 15–24) are neither studying nor working
-
among girls, this figure reaches 40.2%
This signals structural problems in the labor market and education system.
Gender Equality: Progress, but Slow
Positive trend:
-
the share of early marriages is decreasing (to ~2.7%)
However, problems remain:
-
limited autonomy of women in health and decision-making
-
gender gap in employment
Between Progress and Challenges
Türkiye demonstrates strong progress in basic infrastructure, healthcare, and access to services.
However, key challenges remain:
-
a high share of the population at risk of poverty
-
youth employment issues
-
gender inequality
-
lack of data on a number of indicators
According to research estimates, the country faces serious difficulties in achieving a significant part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Türkiye is an example of a “midway” country:
it has already solved basic development tasks, but is now facing more complex — social and structural ones.