Turkey Health and Dental Tourism Statistics: 2019–2026
Clinical review: Dr. Arzu Uluköylü
Last checked: 21 October 2026
Data scope: Official Turkey health-tourism and tourism-statistics publications
Turkey is frequently described as a major destination for dental implants, crowns, veneers, hair transplantation, aesthetic procedures and other international healthcare services. However, health-tourism figures are often repeated without explaining what they measure.
This report brings together the latest available official figures on health tourism in Turkey. It covers visitor volumes, reported revenue, annual trends, current 2026 data, regulation and the limits of the publicly available information.
The central finding is simple: Turkey’s health-tourism sector is substantially larger than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, public official figures measure the wider health-tourism sector. They include dental treatment, but they do not provide a complete national annual total for dental patients alone.
Key findings
Turkey recorded 1,398,580 health-tourism visitors in 2025.
Reported health-tourism revenue in 2025 was approximately USD 3.02 billion.
The 2025 visitor total was lower than the 2023 and 2024 totals, while reported revenue remained broadly unchanged.
In the second quarter of 2026, Turkey recorded 563,327 health-tourism visitors and approximately USD 1.58 billion in revenue.
From 2019 to 2025, the number of health-tourism visitors rose by approximately 85%.
Reported health-tourism revenue rose by approximately 107% between 2019 and 2025.
Dental treatment is included in Turkey’s health-tourism definition, but public headline data does not separate implant, crown, veneer or smile-makeover patients into their own national totals.
Turkey health-tourism statistics by year
Year | Health-tourism visitors | Reported health-tourism revenue |
|---|---|---|
2019 | 756,926 | USD 1.459 billion |
2020 | 435,691 | USD 1.371 billion |
2021 | 729,592 | USD 2.016 billion |
2022 | 1,381,807 | USD 2.207 billion |
2023 | 1,538,643 | USD 3.006 billion |
2024 | 1,506,442 | USD 3.023 billion |
2025 | 1,398,580 | USD 3.022 billion |
The figures above are rounded for readability. Revenue is reported in US dollars.
Latest available 2026 health-tourism data
The latest official quarterly figure available when this page was checked shows that in the second quarter of 2026, 563,327 people visited Turkey to receive healthcare services.
Reported health-tourism revenue for the same quarter was approximately USD 1.58 billion.
This is a quarterly figure, not a full-year figure. It should not be multiplied by four or treated as a forecast for the entire year. Health-tourism travel can change by season, source market, flight capacity, treatment type, economic conditions and broader travel trends.
Health-tourism visitor growth from 2019 to 2025
Turkey recorded 756,926 health-tourism visitors in 2019. By 2025, the official total had risen to 1,398,580.
That represents growth of approximately 85% over six years.
The period was not a smooth upward trend:
2020: Visitor numbers fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: The sector began to recover.
2022: Visitor numbers rose above 1.38 million.
2023: The series reached its highest annual visitor total, at more than 1.53 million.
2024: Visitor volume remained above 1.5 million.
2025: Visitor volume fell by approximately 7% compared with 2024.
The 2025 decline should not automatically be interpreted as a collapse in demand. Health tourism is affected by many variables, including international flight prices, exchange-rate movements, source-market economies, visa conditions, geopolitical events, capacity constraints and patients postponing complex treatment.
Health-tourism revenue: why it does not move exactly with visitor numbers
Reported health-tourism revenue reached approximately USD 3.02 billion in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
This is notable because visitor numbers declined between 2023 and 2025, while reported revenue remained close to the same level.
There are several possible reasons why visitor volume and revenue may move differently:
The mix of treatments may change.
Some treatments have a higher average value than others.
Patients may receive more complex treatment plans.
Length of stay and spending patterns may vary.
The number of accompanying travellers may change.
Revenue and visitor series may cover different combinations of health and medical travel activity.
Public data alone cannot establish which of these factors caused a particular annual change. It can show the direction of the headline figures, but it cannot explain every commercial or clinical reason behind them.
How large is health tourism within Turkey’s wider tourism economy?
Turkey reported approximately USD 65.2 billion in total tourism revenue in 2025.
Using the reported health-tourism revenue figure of approximately USD 3.02 billion, health tourism represented roughly 4.6% of total tourism revenue that year.
This comparison should be used carefully. Health-tourism revenue and total tourism revenue are collected and classified within wider tourism statistics. It is useful for context, but it does not mean that every health-tourism visitor spends the same amount or that dental treatment accounts for a specific share of the total.
Does this data show how many people travel to Turkey specifically for dental treatment?
No. Not precisely.
Turkey’s official definition of health tourism includes people travelling for treatment such as:
Dental treatment
Aesthetic and plastic surgery
Organ transplantation
Eye treatment
Orthopaedic treatment
Physical therapy and rehabilitation
Other healthcare services provided by health institutions and spas
Dental treatment is therefore part of the health-tourism category. However, the public annual headline figures do not provide a reliable nationwide breakdown for:
Dental implants
Zirconia crowns
Veneers
Smile makeovers
Full-mouth rehabilitation
Root canal treatment
Orthodontic treatment
For that reason, it is inaccurate to describe the full health-tourism visitor total as “dental tourists.”
The most accurate wording is:
Turkey’s official health-tourism figures include dental treatment, but public headline statistics do not provide a complete national annual count of dental-treatment visitors alone.
Why dental-only statistics are difficult to measure
A person may travel to Turkey for one treatment or several treatments. A dental patient may receive an implant during one visit and return months later for the final crown. A patient may also combine dental treatment with other medical or aesthetic services.
Likewise, not every international dental patient travels solely for treatment. Some may already be visiting family, working remotely, travelling for leisure or living abroad while receiving care.
This makes treatment-specific national counting more difficult than it may appear.
A total number of health-tourism visitors is useful for understanding the overall sector. It is not a substitute for detailed information about one treatment type, one city, one clinic or one patient outcome.
What public statistics can and cannot tell us
What the data can show
Official figures can help show:
The broad size of Turkey’s health-tourism sector
Annual changes in visitor volume
Annual changes in reported revenue
The recovery of the sector after the pandemic
The role of healthcare travel within Turkey’s wider tourism economy
That dental treatment is recognised as part of the health-tourism category
What the data cannot show
Headline national figures cannot reliably show:
How many visitors received dental treatment only
How many received implants, crowns, veneers or smile makeovers
Which treatment was most common in a particular year
Which clinic achieved the best outcomes
Whether one clinic is cheaper or safer than another
Whether a patient will need one visit or two
Whether a specific treatment plan is clinically appropriate
How many patients later required maintenance or further treatment
Patients, journalists and researchers should be cautious when statistics are used to make claims that go beyond the source data.
International health-tourism regulation in Turkey
International health tourism in Turkey is regulated by the Ministry of Health.
The current Regulation on International Health Tourism and Tourist Health was published on 9 May 2025. The Ministry’s Health Tourism Department maintains information on authorised healthcare providers and facilitators.
Patients considering treatment should verify a clinic’s authorisation, clinician qualifications and written treatment plan before travelling. A polished website, a social-media account, a low advertised price or a large number of online reviews should not replace these checks.
For international patients, a responsible dental-treatment plan should include:
A clear explanation of the proposed treatment
Review of relevant photographs and X-rays before travel where possible
Clinical examination and imaging before irreversible treatment begins
A written list of what is included and excluded
The anticipated number of visits
Clear information about materials and implant systems
Written aftercare instructions
Records for future dental maintenance
What should international dental patients ask before booking?
Before booking flights or paying a deposit, patients should ask:
Which teeth are included in the treatment plan?
What treatment is being proposed and why?
Is the final plan confirmed after examination and imaging?
Will I need crowns, veneers, implants, bridges or a combination of treatments?
Which implant brand and model will be used, if implants are required?
Does the price include the implant fixture, surgery, abutment and final crown?
Are temporary teeth included where needed?
Is bone grafting included, excluded or subject to examination?
How many visits are likely to be needed?
What records will I receive after treatment?
How will urgent concerns be handled after I return home?
What maintenance should I arrange with my regular dentist?
For implant treatment, patients should request an implant passport or written record containing the manufacturer, model, dimensions and relevant prosthetic components.
Why a complete treatment plan matters more than a headline price
A dental-implant quote can look simple until the patient compares what is actually included.
One clinic may quote only the implant fixture placed in the jawbone. Another may quote the fixture, surgery, abutment and final crown together. A third may include scans, temporary teeth, accommodation, transfers or review appointments.
The meaningful comparison is not implant versus implant. It is complete treatment plan versus complete treatment plan.
Patients should also consider:
Flights and accommodation
Time away from work
The likely need for a second visit
Travel insurance
Future maintenance
Whether they have a local dentist available for routine care
The records they will take home after treatment
FineUp Clinic’s approach to international treatment planning
FineUp Clinic provides preliminary reviews using available photographs and X-rays before travel where possible. Final treatment recommendations are confirmed after clinical examination and imaging in Istanbul.
For implant cases, patients can request identifying information about the implant system used and relevant treatment records for future maintenance. FineUp Clinic works with documented implant systems including Straumann, BEGO, Hiossen and Osstem, selected according to the patient’s clinical situation and restorative plan.
The purpose of an international treatment plan should not be to promise the same treatment to every patient. It should be to explain the options, the likely stages, the materials proposed and what needs to be confirmed in person.
Frequently asked questions
How many health tourists visited Turkey in 2025?
Official figures published through USHAŞ report 1,398,580 people receiving healthcare services in Turkey within the health-tourism and tourist-health scope in 2025.
How much revenue did Turkey earn from health tourism in 2025?
Reported health-tourism revenue in 2025 was approximately USD 3.02 billion.
Does health-tourism data include dental treatment?
Yes. Turkey’s official health-tourism definition includes dental treatment among the treatment types covered by the category.
How many dental tourists visit Turkey each year?
There is no complete public national annual figure that separates dental patients from all other health-tourism visitors. Public headline totals cover the wider health-tourism sector.
Did Turkey’s health-tourism visitor numbers increase in 2025?
No. The reported 2025 total was lower than the 2024 total. However, the reported revenue figure remained broadly stable at approximately USD 3.02 billion.
Can health-tourism statistics tell me which clinic to choose?
No. National statistics can provide context about the sector, but they cannot determine whether a particular clinic, treatment plan or price quotation is right for an individual patient.
Methodology and source notes
This report uses publicly available figures from official Turkish institutions. Visitor totals refer to people reported as receiving healthcare services in Turkey within the health-tourism and tourist-health scope. Revenue figures refer to reported tourism revenue associated with foreign visitors and non-resident citizens travelling for health and medical reasons.
The figures should be used to understand the wider health-tourism sector. They should not be presented as dental-only patient totals.
Sources consulted for this report:
USHAŞ, Health Tourism Data series
Turkish Statistical Institute, Tourism Statistics and Health Tourism Survey
Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade, Health Services Export report for 2024
Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health, Regulation on International Health Tourism and Tourist Health, 9 May 2025
This report is for general information and research purposes. It does not replace individual medical advice, a clinical examination or a written treatment plan.
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