Turkey's Brain Drain Rises in 2025, With Germany the Top Destination for Graduates

Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data show that the brain drain rate among higher education graduates rose to 2.2 percent in 2025, up from 2 percent a year earlier. The rate was 2.7 percent for men and 1.8 percent for women. Information and communication technologies had the highest brain drain rate among fields of study, at 7 percent.

Istanbul had the highest provincial rate at 4 percent, followed by İzmir, Ankara, Eskişehir and Yalova. Siirt had the lowest rate, at 0.2 percent. Among foundation university graduates, the rate rose from 4.3 percent in 2024 to 4.4 percent in 2025, while state university graduates saw an increase from 1.7 to 1.9 percent.

Germany was the most popular destination for graduates who emigrated, with a 22 percent share. It was followed by the United States at 16.9 percent, the United Kingdom at 10.5 percent, the Netherlands at 8.3 percent and Canada at 5.2 percent. Computer engineering was the largest undergraduate program among graduates moving to Germany.