Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Turkey

Turkey: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 40.7% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
40.7%
World rank
42nd
of 72 countries
All-time high
41.6%
in 2008
All-time low
7.1%
in 1998
Years of data
6
1993–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Turkey, 1993–2019

102030401993200620191993: 10.7 % of children under 6 months1998: 7.1 % of children under 6 months2003: 20.8 % of children under 6 months2008: 41.6 % of children under 6 months2014: 30.1 % of children under 6 months2019: 40.7 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

In 2019, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Turkey stood at 40.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Turkey peaked at 41.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1998.

Turkey ranks 42nd of 72 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 8.9% 7.1% 10.7% 2
2000s 31.2% 20.8% 41.6% 2
2010s 35.4% 30.1% 40.7% 2

Countries ranked near Turkey

  1. 39 Benin 41.4% compare
  2. 40 Mozambique 41.0% compare
  3. 41 Senegal 40.8% compare
  4. 43 Cuba 40.6% compare
  5. 44 Mali 40.5% compare
  6. 45 Mauritania 40.3% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Turkey

All data for Turkey →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Turkey?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Turkey was 40.7% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Turkey?
The highest recorded value was 41.6% in 2008.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Turkey?
The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1998.
How does Turkey rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Turkey ranks 42nd out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Turkey?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Turkey data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.