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Ankara

#69 largest metro areaAsia

In Turkey

Metro population
5,663,000
0.068% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+0.85%
About 132 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
2,251/km²
2,516 km² metro area
City proper
3,517,182
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Ankara

With a metropolitan population of 5,663,000, Ankara ranks among Turkey's largest urban centers. The city proper spans a dense 2,251 people per km² at an elevation of 850 meters. Annual growth of 0.9% indicates moderate demographic expansion, suggesting a stabilizing population trajectory after periods of more rapid increase.

Esenboğa International Airport (ESB) serves the city's air transport needs. Under the leadership of Mayor Mansur Yavaş, Ankara continues to develop as a major Turkish metropolis.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
Turkey
Continent
Asia
World rank
#69 of 140
Share of country
6.6%
Leadership
Mansur Yavaş
Elevation
850 m
Coordinates
39.920, 32.854

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Esenboğa International AirportESB

    26 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Ankara5.66M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Ankara compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Ankara5.66M

Population Trend in Turkey

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

020M40M60M80M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is Turkey's national population, not Ankara's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Turkey population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
195021,021,140
196028,329,898
197036,638,465
198045,408,815
199056,015,628
200065,425,961
201073,346,769
202086,091,692
203089,027,542
204091,009,681
205091,258,061
206088,863,276
207084,358,564
208078,555,666
209072,021,272
210065,338,459

Other Major Cities in Turkey

2 more cities in our dataset.

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Ankara Population FAQ

What is the population of Ankara?

Ankara's metropolitan area has about 5,663,000 people, making it the 69th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Ankara's city and metro population?

About 3,517,182 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 5,663,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Ankara growing or shrinking?

Ankara is growing at +0.85% a year.

What share of Turkey's population lives in Ankara?

Ankara's metro area holds about 6.6% of Turkey's total population.

How densely populated is Ankara?

Ankara has roughly 2,251 people per km² across a metro area of about 2,516 km².

Which airports serve Ankara?

The nearest major airports are Esenboğa International Airport (ESB).

Which country is Ankara in?

Ankara is in Turkey, in Asia.

Explore More Cities

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