Proportion of Turks who consider themselves 'unhappy' at highest level in 19 years

Duvar English 

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has announced the results of the “2021 Life Satisfaction Survey,” which revealed that the proportion of Turks who say they are “happy” has decreased from 59.6 percent to 49.3 percent in the past 19 years.

The rate of those who said they “unhappy” increased from 14.5 percent in 2020 to 16.6 percent in 2021. That rate increased from 7.3 percent in 2003 to 16.6 percent in 2021.

The study also questioned people regarding their “life expectations in the upcoming year,” and revealed that the proportion of those who said “it could get worse” increased from 9.3 percent in 2003 to 33.8 percent in 2021.

20.9 percent of the respondents said 2022 would be “better,” and those who said it would be “the same” as in 2021 was 37.3 percent.

What is more, the report included data with regards to safety. 43.6 percent of the respondents said they felt “safe” whilst walking alone at night, while 26.8 percent said they felt “unsafe.”

Another notable aspect of the study was women’s happiness. While the rate of women who said they were “very happy” was 11.6 percent in 2003, this rate dropped to 5.7 percent in 2021. The rate of those who said they were “unhappy” rose from 5.0 percent in 2003, to 10.8 percent in 2021.

The proportion of “happy” women nonetheless increased from 53.1 percent in 2020 to 43.9 percent in 2021.

The study delved into people’s sources of happiness, demonstrating that 67.6 percent of the participants in 2021 said that “their families” made them the happiest.

As for sources of happiness other than the family, 69.0 percent said that “being healthy” was their main source of happiness, 14.3 percent said “love”, 8.9 percent said “success”, 5.1 percent said “money” and 2.3 percent said “business.”