Capital

Turkmenistan

name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)

geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E

time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: derived from the Persian words eshq meaning "love" and abad meaning "inhabited place" or "city," and so loosely translates as "the city of love"

Citizenship

Turkmenistan

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkmenistan

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Legal system

Turkmenistan

civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences

Suffrage

Turkmenistan

18 years of age; universal

Area

Turkmenistan

total: 488,100 sq km

land: 469,930 sq km

water: 18,170 sq km

Land use

Turkmenistan

agricultural land: 72% (2018 est.)

arable land: 4.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 67.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 8.8% (2018 est.)

other: 19.2% (2018 est.)

Location

Turkmenistan

Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Age structure

Turkmenistan

0-14 years: 24.63% (male 710,040/female 691,487)

15-64 years: 68.82% (male 1,943,930/female 1,972,723)

65 years and over: 6.55% (2023 est.) (male 163,121/female 209,517)

Birth rate

Turkmenistan

17.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Turkmenistan

6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Turkmenistan

Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

major-language sample(s):
Dünýä Faktlar Kitaby – esasy maglumatlaryň wajyp çeşmesidir (Turkmen)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Turkmenistan

total population: 72.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 69.1 years

female: 75.3 years

Major urban areas - population

Turkmenistan

902,000 ASHGABAT (capital) (2023)

Median age

Turkmenistan

total: 30.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 30.2 years

female: 31.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Turkmenistan

24.2 years (2019)

Net migration rate

Turkmenistan

-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Turkmenistan

the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat

Population growth rate

Turkmenistan

0.95% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Turkmenistan

2.03 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Turkmenistan

urban population: 54% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Turkmenistan

3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Turkmenistan

total: 13 years

male: 13 years

female: 13 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Turkmenistan

-2.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Turkmenistan

1% (2017 est.)

Labor force

Turkmenistan

1.998 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Turkmenistan

0.2% (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate

Turkmenistan

5.08% (2021 est.)

4.95% (2020 est.)

4.27% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Turkmenistan

28.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

24.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Turkmenistan

8% (2017 est.)

3.6% (2016 est.)

Exports

Turkmenistan

$7.458 billion (2017 est.)

$6.987 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - partners

Turkmenistan

China 82% (2019)

Imports

Turkmenistan

$4.571 billion (2017 est.)

$5.215 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - partners

Turkmenistan

Turkey 25%, Russia 18%, China 14%, Germany 6% (2019)

Airports

Turkmenistan

26 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Turkmenistan

total: 10,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.2 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Turkmenistan

total: 1,563,023 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 25.3% (2022 est.)

Railways

Turkmenistan

total: 5,113 km (2017)

broad gauge: 5,113 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge

Roadways

Turkmenistan

total: 58,592 km (2002)

paved: 47,577 km (2002)

unpaved: 11,015 km (2002)

Telephones - fixed lines

Turkmenistan

total subscriptions: 800,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Turkmenistan

total subscriptions: 6.3 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 99 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Turkmenistan

1,300 km (2011) (Amu Darya River and Kara Kum Canal are important inland waterways)

Disputes - international

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan: in January 2021, the two countries reached a preliminary agreement on the joint exploration of an undersea hydrocarbon field containing oil and natural gas in the Caspian Sea

Turkmenistan-Iran: none identified

Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed a treaty on the delimitation and demarcation process in 2001; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005; Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan agreed to their border in the Caspian Sea in 2014

Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan: in 2017, the three countries signed an agreement of the junction of their borders

Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan: cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; in 2021, the two countries reached an agreement to create a joint intergovernmental commission to oversee water management