What happened
Türkiye’s population aged 65 and over rose to 9,583,059 in 2025, representing 11.1% of the country’s total population, according to figures cited from the Turkish Statistical Institute. Life expectancy at birth was 78.5 years over the 2023–2025 period.
Writing for International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, Murat Dönmez, chief executive of Otis Türkiye, said the ageing trend should be considered in the planning of cities, buildings and public areas. He presented accessibility as a condition for environments that can be used throughout people’s lives, regardless of age or mobility.
Dönmez said lifts contribute to mobility, but that accessible design also requires easy-to-navigate spaces, clear guidance and services that support participation in everyday life.
Why it matters
For property owners, designers and urban-development businesses in Türkiye, a larger older population increases the relevance of accessibility in both new construction and the upgrading of existing buildings. The issue reaches beyond vertical transport to the usability of the wider built environment.
Türkiye’s changing cities, including Istanbul, could use ongoing growth and redevelopment to create places that work for multiple generations, according to Dönmez. This affects the design of buildings and public spaces as well as the services provided within them.
Background
The United Nations has set the 2026 International Day of Older Persons theme as The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives. The source says longer lives call for connected thinking across health, employment, social protection, education, housing and economic sustainability.
It also cites a 9.6-year difference in 2019 between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. That gap underlines that increased longevity alone does not ensure an independent or good-quality later life.
What's next
International Day of Older Persons falls on 1 October 2026. The 2026 theme places attention on systems and living environments that can support participation, autonomy and quality of life over longer lifespans.
