Türkiye counts health tourism in three different ways: (1) the Ministry of Health and USHAŞ count foreign patients; (2) TÜİK counts visitors who came for “health and medical reasons”, from border surveys; and (3) TÜİK reports a “health expenditure” item in tourism income. The figures do not match because they count different things by different methods.
None of the three gives a separate number for people who came only for dental treatment, at least in the publications we could find. So a sentence such as “this many dental tourists come to Türkiye” cannot be built without an official source.
Three measurement systems: who counts what, and how?
| System | What it counts | How | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Health / USHAŞ | Foreign patients receiving services under health tourism | Facility records (reports from authorised facilities; HealthTürkiye and Ministry systems) | The definition and scope are not published clearly. It is unclear whether it counts patients or visits, and whether anyone is counted twice. Unauthorised facilities are outside the count. |
| TÜİK: purpose of arrival | Visitors who came for “health and medical reasons” | Quarterly border-point tourism surveys and visitor counts | Survey-based. Depends on the main purpose reported. Dental treatment is not a separate class, so health visits sit in one category. |
| TÜİK: spending | The “health expenditure” item in tourism income | The same border surveys; visitors' spending declarations | Rests on survey declarations. May not reflect the full treatment fee. Can mix with other spending categories. |
According to the Central Bank (TCMB), Türkiye's tourism income and expenditure are compiled by TÜİK from visitor counts at border gates and the quarterly tourism surveys carried out at them. One news report noted that because TÜİK's health tourism income rests on border surveys, it may not show the full number of patients.
Table 1: foreign patients, Ministry of Health and USHAŞ (as reported in the news)
| Year | Foreign patients | Income (USD) | Source and note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 756,926 | – | Forbes Türkiye article |
| 2021 | over 670,000 | – | Cited as USHAŞ data in an academic paper |
| 2023 | over 1.8 million | – | The same paper |
| 2024 | over 1.5 million (one source) / 2 million (another source) | about 3 billion (3.022 billion) | USHAŞ data, as cited in an academic paper and in the news; the figures differ |
Ministry and industry statements describe 2024 as a year of decline. Realised income of about 3 billion USD and the targets of 10–12 billion USD (2025) and 20 billion USD (2028) are different things.
Table 2: TÜİK indicators (as reported in the news)
| Period | Indicator | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Visitors for health and medical reasons | 243,000 | Reported in the news |
| 2022 | The same | 663,000 | The same report |
| 2023 | The same | 788,000 | The same report (period not stated) |
| First half 2024 | The same | 801,000 (the report says “first half of last year”) | Period and definition not stated |
| First half 2024 → first half 2025 | Health tourism income | 1.622 billion → 1.392 billion USD | Reported in the news (a fall of about 14%) |
| Q3 2025 | Health expenditure | Up 20.3% on the same period a year earlier | Summary of the TÜİK bulletin |
| Q1 2026 | Health expenditure | Up 18.4% on the same period a year earlier | Summary of the TÜİK bulletin |
| Q2 2026 | Health expenditure | 834 million USD (same quarter a year earlier: 749 million) | Reported in the news |
| First half 2026 | Health expenditure / visitors | 1.58 billion USD / 563,000 visitors (about 22% fewer visitors year on year) | Reported in the news |
In this table, spending rises while visitor numbers fall, which points to higher health spending per person (the reading given in the news). An industry representative and USHAŞ data put income per person at about 2,200 USD. A separate report gives about 2,262 USD for health tourism spending per person between the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2024, against about 971 USD for tourism as a whole. These three per-person figures were calculated by different methods and should not be taken as support for one another.
Why the figures do not match
- Definition: the Ministry counts “patients” and TÜİK counts “visitors”. One comes from facility records, the other from a border survey.
- Scope: TÜİK looks at the main purpose of the visit, so someone who came for health and also stayed as a tourist may be classed differently. Ministry data rests on authorised facilities' records.
- Period: some reports give half-year data and some full years. Without a clear period they cannot be compared.
- Targets and outturn: reports often print targets (for example 12 and 20 billion USD) next to realised income.
- Reporting errors: news summaries can misreport the primary bulletin.
- Revisions: official data can be revised later.
An industry representative said 2024 patient numbers were lower than expected.
What do we know about dental treatment?
| Information | Source | Reliability |
|---|---|---|
| An official dental breakdown (how many foreign patients came for dental care) | Not found | No data. It should be requested from the Ministry or USHAŞ. |
Market estimates for dental tourism specifically in Türkiye (for example a marketing agency's forecast of 284 million USD for 2024 and 1 billion USD for 2030) are not official data. They are promotional press releases and are not used here as official figures.
Source countries
Industry statements list Germany, the UK, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Russia as heavy senders. This ranking is for health tourism in general. We found no separate official ranking for dental tourism.
How to reach the official data
| Source | What for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| TÜİK tourism statistics (quarterly bulletin, data portal) | Purpose of arrival, spending items, visitor numbers | Bulletins come about 30 days after the end of the quarter. Read the method and metadata notes. |
| Ministry of Health / USHAŞ | Foreign patient numbers, lists of authorised facilities and intermediaries | Official annual publications and statements. For a dental breakdown, an information request. |
| HealthTürkiye portal | Authorised providers | See the verification page. |
| Right to Information Law request | A dental breakdown, definitions and method | Under Law no. 4982 a reply is expected within 15 working days. |
What the numbers do and do not tell us
They do say
- Official sources claim Türkiye serves between one and two million foreign patients a year in health tourism.
- The health item in TÜİK's spending data rose in 2025 and 2026.
- Visitor numbers and spending did not move in the same direction.
They do not say
- How many of these patients came for dental treatment.
- In how many cases a complication occurred, or how many were satisfied.
- Which facilities are safe.
- Whether Türkiye is better than any other country.
How this site presents the data
- We show the three systems separately, never on one axis.
- Every figure has a source, publication date, definition and method note next to it.
- News summaries stay labelled “as reported in the news” until they are matched to the primary bulletin.
- The “no dental data” row is shown openly, because an empty cell is information too.
- Conflicting figures are given as a range (for example 2024: 1.5–2 million depending on source) with the reason.
- Targets are shown separately from realised figures.
- The page is updated as new bulletins appear, with the update date shown.
Frequently asked questions
How many people come to Türkiye for dental treatment each year?
We found no official dental breakdown. There are general health tourism figures, but no separate official number for dental care.
Why do Ministry and TÜİK figures differ?
The Ministry counts patient records. TÜİK measures visitors and spending through a border survey. The definition, method and scope differ.
Is dental tourism growing in Türkiye?
Reports say general health tourism income was about 3 billion USD in 2024 and that TÜİK health spending rose in 2025–2026, while visitor numbers fluctuated. There is no separate trend data for dental care.
Can I trust market research reports?
They use different definitions and most are commercial. They belong in a separate, clearly labelled “estimates” section, apart from official data.
Sources
- TCMB: how tourism income and expenditure are compiled (border surveys)
- TÜİK tourism statistics, Q3 2025 (bulletin summary)
- TÜİK tourism statistics, Q1 2026 (bulletin summary)
- TÜİK tourism statistics, Q2 2026 (news)
- Ekonomi Gazetesi: health tourism income fell (first half 2025; series of health visitors)
- Ekonomi Gazetesi: health spending and visitors, first half 2026
- USAT 2025 paper (USHAŞ series: 2021, 2023, 2024)
- Forbes Türkiye: 2019 figure
- NTV: the gap between TÜİK and Ministry patient numbers
- Posta: the Minister's statement (3 billion USD, 20 billion target)
- Health tourism segment analysis with TÜİK data (academic)