Turkey, with a 1992 population of 59.6 million persons (nearly one­ fourth of the U.S. population), ranks sixteenth in population size among the world's nations. Even though fertility levels and growth rates have declined in recent years and are projected to decline further, Turkey will still rank among the world's twenty largest countries in the year 2020. Turkey ranks comparatively lower (36th) in area (less than one­ tenth of the U.S. area) than in population size.

Although fertility levels in Turkey have declined from 5.2 children per woman in 1975 to 3.4 in 1992, the population remains concentrated in the young ages (figure 1). The population growth rate (2.1 per- Figure 1. cent), which also has declined, is still greater than the world average (1.7 percent). Turkey's current growth rate, if continued, implies that the population will double in roughly 33 years. With further projected fertility declines, the country's population is expected to exceed 100 million by 2027 and to be twice its current population by 2051.