Statistics Turkmenistan 
Turkmenistan in the World
Turkmenistan - Introduction 2024
top of pageBackground:
Present-day Turkmenistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. Various Persian empires ruled the area in antiquity, and Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians conquered it. 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 when the USSR dissolved in 1991.
President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, a deputy chairman under NIYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOV won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in 2007, and again in 2012 and 2017 with over 97% of the vote in elections widely regarded as undemocratic. In 2022, BERDIMUHAMEDOV announced that he would step down from the presidency and called for an election to replace him. His son, Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV, won the ensuing election with 73% of the vote. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, although no longer head of state, maintains an influential political position as head of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) and as National Leader of the Turkmen People, a title that provides additional privileges and immunity for him and his family. Since Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV stepped down from the presidency, state-controlled media upgraded his honorific from Arkadag (protector) to Hero-Arkadag, and began referring to Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV as Arkadagly Serdar, which can be translated as 'Serdar who has a protector to support him.'
Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. 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 citizens of Turkmenistan to emigrate, mostly to Turkey.
President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, a deputy chairman under NIYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOV won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in 2007, and again in 2012 and 2017 with over 97% of the vote in elections widely regarded as undemocratic. In 2022, BERDIMUHAMEDOV announced that he would step down from the presidency and called for an election to replace him. His son, Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV, won the ensuing election with 73% of the vote. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, although no longer head of state, maintains an influential political position as head of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) and as National Leader of the Turkmen People, a title that provides additional privileges and immunity for him and his family. Since Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV stepped down from the presidency, state-controlled media upgraded his honorific from Arkadag (protector) to Hero-Arkadag, and began referring to Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV as Arkadagly Serdar, which can be translated as 'Serdar who has a protector to support him.'
Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. 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 citizens of Turkmenistan 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
Country comparison total: 4,158 km
Country comparison border countries: (4) Afghanistan 804 km; Iran 1,148 km; Kazakhstan 413 km; Uzbekistan 1,793 km
Land boundaries
Total: 4,158 km
Border countries: (4) Afghanistan 804 km; Iran 1,148 km; Kazakhstan 413 km; Uzbekistan 1,793 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.)
Agricultural land forest: 8.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 19.2% (2018 est.)
Major rivers
By length in km: Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km
By length in km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds area km²: Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 km²)
Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 450 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 810 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 16.12 billion cubic meters (2020 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 2024
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
Total: 5,744,151
Male: 2,842,870
Female: 2,901,281 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 0.92% (2024 est.)
Languages: Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Major-language samples: Dünýä Faktlar Kitaby – esasy maglumatlaryň wajyp çeşmesidir (Turkmen); 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: 24.5% (male 711,784/female 692,967)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 1,956,740/female 1,984,333)
65 years and over: 6.9% (2024 est.) (male 174,346/female 223,981)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 56.6
Youth dependency ratio: 48.9
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.7
Potential support ratio: 13 (2021 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: 54% of total population (2023)
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: 26.41 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
Total: 35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 43.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 99.8% of population
Improved rural: 99.9% of population
Improved total: 99.8% of population
Unimproved urban: 0.2% of population
Unimproved rural: 0.1% of population
Unimproved total: 0.2% of population (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 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)
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 9.1% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 13.9% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 5.7% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Turkmenistan - Government 2024
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 (velayatlar, singular - velayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Velayat (Arkadag), Ashgabat*, Balkan Velayat (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Velayat, Lebap Velayat (Turkmenabat), Mary Velayat
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 Assembly or Mejlis; passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2023 (changed legislature from bicameral to unicameral Assembly or Mejlis; reestablished People's Council or Halk Maslahaty and named former president Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV as National Leader of the Turkmen people
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: 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 Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)
Head of government: President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections/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 March 2022 (next to be held in 2,029)
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Election results: 2022: Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV elected president; percent of vote - Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 73%, Khydyr NUNNAYEV (independent) 11.1%, Agadzhan BEKMYRADOV (IAP) 7.2%, other 8.7%
Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Assembly or Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms); formerly the Assembly was the lower house of the bicameral National Council or Milli Genes, which consisted of an upper house, the People's Council or Halk Maslahaty, and the Assembly or Mejlis
Elections: last held on 26 March 2023 (next to be held in 2,028)
Elections results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPT 55, APT 11, PIE 11, independent 48 (individuals nominated by citizen groups); composition men 93, women 32, percentage women 25.6%
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, Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT, Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs or PIE
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 ORAZOV (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]
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]
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/music: collective/Veli MUKHATOV
Note: adopted 1997, lyrics revised in 2008, to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW
National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales:
Turkmenistan - Economy 2024
top of pageEconomy overview: upper middle-income Central Asian economy; has 10% of global natural gas reserves, exporting to Russia and China; natural resource rich; authoritarian and dominated by state-owned enterprises; major central-south Asian pipeline development
Real gdp purchasing power parity: $94.79 billion (2022 est.); $93.205 billion (2021 est.); $89.192 billion (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
Real gdp growth rate: 6.3% (2023 est.); 6.2% (2022 est.); 6.2% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real gdp per capita: $14,700 (2022 est.); $14,700 (2021 est.); $14,300 (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 50% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 9.8% (2022 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 18.3% (2022 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 22.2% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -12.9% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11.6% (2022 est.)
Industry: 40.6% (2022 est.)
Services: 47.8% (2022 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Agriculture products: milk, cotton, wheat, potatoes, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes, beef, sugar beets, lamb/mutton (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (2014 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Labor force: 2.163 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Unemployment rate: 4.12% (2023 est.); 4.12% (2022 est.); 4.45% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 9.1% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 13.9% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 5.7% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Exports: $10.282 billion (2021 est.); $8.164 billion (2020 est.); $11.188 billion (2019 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: China 71%, Turkey 7%, Uzbekistan 5%, Azerbaijan 4%, Morocco 2% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, crude petroleum, electricity (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports: $6.25 billion (2021 est.); $8.301 billion (2020 est.); $8.844 billion (2019 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: UAE 27%, Turkey 24%, China 19%, Kazakhstan 7%, Germany 4% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: broadcasting equipment, cars, wheat, computers, iron structures (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
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.)
3.5 (2016 est.)
3.5 (2015 est.)
3.5 (2014 est.)
Turkmenistan - Energy 2024
top of pageElectricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 5.202 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 16.977 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 3.201 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 2.892 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 272,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 152,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 600 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
Production: 86.472 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Consumption: 41.561 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Exports: 44.567 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 11.327 trillion m³ (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 101.442 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 19.91 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 81.532 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
Turkmenistan - Communication 2024
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 802,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 6.255 million (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 99 (2021 est.)
Turkmenistan - Military 2024
top of pageMilitary expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (2019 est.); 1.8% of GDP (2018 est.); 1.8% of GDP (2017 est.); 1.8% of GDP (2016 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
Military and security forces: Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (aka Turkmen National Army): Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, national police, Federal/State Border Guard Service (2024)
Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 24-month conscript service obligation (30 months for the Navy); 20 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; men may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2023)
Turkmenistan - Transportation 2024
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 (2018) mt-km
Turkmenistan - Transnational issues 2024
top of pageIllicit 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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