Statistics Turkmenistan 
Turkmenistan in the World
Turkmenistan - Introduction 2021
top of pageBackground:
Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires, and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians. In medieval times, Merv (located in present-day Mary province) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmen territories later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik resistance in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President for Life Saparmyrat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOW won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007, and again in 2012 and in 2017 with over 97% of the vote in both instances, in elections widely regarded as undemocratic.
Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. As of late 2021, Turkmenistan exported the majority of its gas to China and smaller levels of gas to Russia. Turkmenistan's reliance on gas exports has made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in the global energy market, and economic hardships since the drop in energy prices in 2014 have led many Turkmenistanis to emigrate, mostly to Turkey.
Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. As of late 2021, Turkmenistan exported the majority of its gas to China and smaller levels of gas to Russia. Turkmenistan's reliance on gas exports has made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in the global energy market, and economic hardships since the drop in energy prices in 2014 have led many Turkmenistanis to emigrate, mostly to Turkey.
Area
Total: 488,100 km²
Land: 469,930 km²
Water: 18,170 km²
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California
Land boundaries
Total: 4,158 km
Border countries: (4) Afghanistan 804 km; , Iran 1148 km; , Kazakhstan 413 km; , Uzbekistan 1793 km
Terrain: flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
Elevation
Highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
Lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya (Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya, the lake has dropped as low as -110 m) -81 m
Mean elevation: 230 m
Land use
Agricultural land: 72% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 4.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 67.8% (2018 est.)
Forest: 8.8% (2018 est.)
Other: 19.2% (2018 est.)
Major rivers
By length in km: Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km
Major watersheds area km²: Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 km²)
Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 755 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 839 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 26.36 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Geography
Note: landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau
Turkmenistan - People 2021
top of pagePopulation
Distribution: the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat: 5,579,889 (July 2021 est.)
Note: some sources suggest Turkmenistan's population could be as much as 1 to 2 million people lower than available estimates because of large-scale emigration during the last 10 years
Growth rate: 1.02% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: 0.2% (2012 est.)
Languages: Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Major language samples:
Dünýä Facebooky, esasy maglumat üçin aýrylmaz bir çeşme dir. (Turkmen)
The Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.
The Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Muslim 93%, Christian 6.4%, Buddhist <1%, folk religion <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified <1% (2020 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 25.44% (male 713,441/female 693,042)
15-24 years: 16.48% (male 458,566/female 452,469)
25-54 years: 44.14% (male 1,214,581/female 1,226,027)
55-64 years: 8.56% (male 221,935/female 251,238)
65 years and over: 5.38% (male 129,332/female 167,996) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55.2
Youth dependency ratio: 47.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.4
Potential support ratio: 13.5 (2020 est.)
Population distribution: the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
Urbanization
Urban population: 53% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment
Current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; soil erosion; desertification
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 19.02 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 70.63 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 52.09 megatons (2020 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality rate
Total: 38.54 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 46.87 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 29.79 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.54 years
Male: 68.5 years
Female: 74.73 years (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.7%
Male: 99.8%
Female: 99.6% (2015)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 13 years (2020)
Turkmenistan - Government 2021
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Turkmenistan
Local long form: none
Local short form: Turkmenistan
Former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Etymology: the suffix '-stan' means 'place of' or 'country,' so Turkmenistan literally means the 'Land of the Turkmen [people]'
Capital
Name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
Geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E
Time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: derived from the Persian words 'eshq' meaning 'love' and 'abad' meaning 'inhabited place' or 'city,' and so loosely translates as 'the city of love'
Administrative divisions: 5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Welayaty (Anew), Ashgabat*, Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dasoguz Welayaty, Lebap Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty
Note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 14 September 2016
Amendments: proposed by the Mejlisi; passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2020 (changed legislature to bicameral)
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Executive branch
Chief of state: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections and appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 12 February 2017 (next to be held in February 2024)
Election results:
2017: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (DPT) 97.7%, other 2.3%
2012: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW reelected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 97.1%, Annageldi YAZMYRADOW 1.1%, other candidates 1.8%
2012: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW reelected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 97.1%, Annageldi YAZMYRADOW 1.1%, other candidates 1.8%
Legislative branch
Description:
bicameral National Council or Milli Genesi consists of:
People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (56 seats; 48 members indirectly elected by provincial councils and 8 members appointed by the president)
Assembly or Mejlisi (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms)
note: in September 2020, the Turkmenistani legislature (Milli Genesi) adopted a constitutional amendment creating an upper chamber, making the legislature bicameral; the chairperson of the Halk Maslahaty is now designated as the constitutional successor to the presidency; as of April 2021, Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW serves in this position in addition to being president
People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (56 seats; 48 members indirectly elected by provincial councils and 8 members appointed by the president)
Assembly or Mejlisi (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms)
note: in September 2020, the Turkmenistani legislature (Milli Genesi) adopted a constitutional amendment creating an upper chamber, making the legislature bicameral; the chairperson of the Halk Maslahaty is now designated as the constitutional successor to the presidency; as of April 2021, Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW serves in this position in addition to being president
Elections: People's Council - first held on 28 March 2021 for 48 indirectly elected members (next to be held in 2026); first held on 14 April 2021 for 8 presidentially appointed members (next to be held NA)
Assembly - last held on 25 March 2018 (next to be held NA)
Election results: People's Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPT 3, independent 45; composition - men 42, women 14, percent of women 32.3%
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPT 55, APT 11, PIE 11, independent 48 (individuals nominated by citizen groups); composition (as of March 2018) - men 94, women 31, percent of women 24.8%; note - total percent of National Council percent of women 24.9%
Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers)
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms
Subordinate courts: High Commercial Court; appellate courts; provincial, district, and city courts; military courts
Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or APT [Basim ANNAGURBANOW]
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Ata SERDAROW]
Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs or PIE [Saparmyrat OWGANOW]
Note: all of these parties support President BERDIMUHAMEDOW; a law authorizing the registration of political parties went into effect in January 2012; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad
International organization participation: ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Meret ORAZOW (since 14 February 2001)
In the us chancery: 2,207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 588-1500
In the us email address and website:
turkmenembassyus@verizon.net
[link]
[link]
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew S. KLIMOW (since 26 June 2019)
From the us embassy: 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744,000
From the us mailing address: 7,070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20,521-7,070
From the us telephone: [993] (12) 94-00-45
From the us FAX: [993] (12) 94-26-14
From the us email address and website:
ConsularAshgab@state.gov
[link]
[link]
Flag description: green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches; five white, five-pointed stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe; the green color and crescent moon represent Islam; the five stars symbolize the regions or welayats of Turkmenistan; the guls reflect the national identity of Turkmenistan where carpet-making has long been a part of traditional nomadic life
Note: the flag of Turkmenistan is the most intricate of all national flags
National anthem
Name: 'Garassyz, Bitarap Turkmenistanyn' (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem)
Lyrics and music: collective/Veli MUKHATOV
Note: adopted 1997, lyrics revised in 2008, to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW
Turkmenistan - Economy 2021
top of pageReal gdp purchasing power parity:
$92.33 billion - note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)
$86.86 billion - note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
$86.86 billion - note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real gdp per capita:
$15,500 - note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)
$14,800 - note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
$14,800 - note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 50% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 10% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 28.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 26.2% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -14.3% (2017 est.)
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.5% (2017 est.)
Industry: 44.9% (2017 est.)
Services: 47.7% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: milk, wheat, cotton, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, grapes, sugar beet, beef, rice
Labor force: 2.305 million (2013 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 48.2%
By occupation industry: 14%
By occupation services: 37.8% (2004 est.)
Budget
Revenues: $5.657 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $6.714 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $-2.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Exports: $7.458 billion (2017 est.)
$6.987 billion (2016 est.)
Partners: China 82% (2019)
Commodities: natural gas, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cotton fibers, fertilizers (2019)
Imports: $4.571 billion (2017 est.)
$5.215 billion (2016 est.)
Partners: Turkey 25%, Russia 18%, China 14%, Germany 6% (2019)
Commodities: iron products, harvesting machinery, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, tractors (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $24.91 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$25.05 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates:
Turkmenistani manat (TMM) per US dollar
4.125 (2017 est.)
3.5 (2016 est.)
3.5 (2015 est.)
3.5 (2014 est.)
2.85 (2013 est.)
4.125 (2017 est.)
3.5 (2016 est.)
3.5 (2015 est.)
3.5 (2014 est.)
2.85 (2013 est.)
Turkmenistan - Energy 2021
top of pageElectricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 21.18 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption: 15.09 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: $3.201 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 4.001 million kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 244,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil exports: 67,790 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves: 600 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum
Products production: 191,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption: 160,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products exports: 53,780 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas
Production: 77.45 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption: 39.31 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Exports: $38.14 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves: 7.504 trillion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Turkmenistan - Communication 2021
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 682,000 (2018)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11.85 (2018 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 9.377 million (2018)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 162.9 (2019 est.)
Broadcast media: broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 7 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes and programming provide an alternative to the state-run media; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by removing satellite dishes
Internet
Country code: .tm
Users total: 2.01 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 21.25% (2019 est.)
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 5,000 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2019 est.)
Turkmenistan - Military 2021
top of pageMilitary expenditures: 0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
0.9% of GDP (2019 est.)
1% of GDP (2018 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
Military and security forces: Armed Forces of Turkmenistan: Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces; Federal Border Guard Service (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for compulsory male military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2.5 years for the Navy); 20 years of age for voluntary service; males may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2021)
Turkmenistan - Transportation 2021
top of pageNational air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 27
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,457,474 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 16.92 million mt-km (2018)
Airports
Total: 26 (2013)
With paved runways total: 21
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 4 (2013)
Turkmenistan - Transnational issues 2021
top of pageDisputes international: cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005; bilateral talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian
Illicit drugs: transit country for Afghan opiates to Turkish, Russian, and European markets, either directly from Afghanistan or through Iran; not a major producer or source country for illegal drugs or precursor chemicals
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