Turkmenistan Flag

Turkmenistan

Capital:
Ashgabat
Continent:
Asia
Largest Cities:
Ashgabat, Turkmenabat, Dasoguz
Abbreviation:
TKM

Turkmenistan is a country in Asia, known for ancient Silk Road sites and Karakum Desert. It has a population of 7.6 million, making it the 104th largest country in the world. Its official language is Portuguese, and the capital is Ashgabat. Turkmenistan has a natural gas-based economy with growing textile sector.

7.6M
Total Population
104
Population Rank
16.21
Density (km²)
124.3K 1.85%
Annual Population Growth

Population of Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan's population structure shows a slightly lower male to female ratio of 0.96 to 1, with a median male age of 26.38 years old and a median female age of 28.69 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 29 and 30 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.

Turkmenistan Population

Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Turkmenistan Population Clock

Turkmenistan Population*
7,571,105
Births per Day
418
Deaths per Day
123
Immigrations per Day
36
Net Change per Day
332
2025 Population Change*
12,284

* As of 2/6/2025

1 birth

Every 3.4 minutes

1 death

Every 11.7 minutes

1 immigrant

Every 40.0 minutes

1 person

Every 4.3 minutes

Population by City

City
2025 Pop.
Ashgabat727,700
Turkmenabat234,817
Dasoguz166,500
Mary114,680

Turkmenistan Overview

Turkmenistan Demographics

The majority of Turkmenistan’s people are ethnic Turkmens (85%) with large minorities of Uzbeks (5%) and Russians (4%). Small minorities include the Kazakhs, Tatars, Ukrainians, Kurds, Armenians, Azeris, Balochs and Pashtuns.

In 1939, 18.6% of the population was ethnic Russian, which fell to 9.5% in 1989. Today, it is estimated at 4%. The number of Turkmen in the country doubled from 1989 to 2001 while the number of Russians fell by around 66%.

Turkmenistan Religion, Economy and Politics

Muslims make up 89% of the population in Turkmenistan, and most Turkmen site Islam as an integral part of their daily life and culture. An additional 10% of the population are of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the religion of the remaining 1% of the population is unknown, according to the CIA World Factbook. The Pew Research Center places the Muslim population even higher at 93%.

The economy of Turkmenistan is heavily dependent on both agriculture and their gas and oil resources. Turkmenistan is ranked number seven in the world in terms of natural gas reserves, although they are limited in their means to export it. Turkmenistan also produces over 200,000 barrels of oil per day, roughly half of which is consumed domestically. The two most prominent crops are cotton and wheat. Roughly half of the country’s workforce work in agriculture, 38% work in services and the rest largely work in industry and construction. The financial system in Turkmenistan is completely under the control of the state.

As a presidential republic, the president of Turkmenistan is head of both the state and the government. The legislature is known as the Mejlis and is a unicameral parliament with 125 members, each serving five-year terms. The judicial system is comprised of a Supreme Court, six provincial courts, and 61 city and district courts. Military courts were outlawed in 1997, and the president has the power to appoint judges. Broken into five areas, Turkmenistan each of which has its regional administration.

Turkmenistan Population History

The area now known as Turkmenistan has been occupied by humans since at least 6th century BC. Arabs conquered the area in the 7th century AD, converting the region to Islam. Genghis Khan took over the region several hundred years later, followed by the Persians in the 15th through 17th centuries. Present-day Turkmenistan was incorporated as part of Russia in 1881, and they became a constituent republic of the USSR in 1925. An earthquake killed over 100,000 people in Turkmenistan in 1948. Turkmenistan became a sovereign nation, free of Russia, in 1990.