Turkmenistan

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 377,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

state-controlled broadcast media; 7 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes available for other broadcasts; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by removing satellite dishes

Internet country code

.tm

Internet users

percent of population: 21% (2017 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 802,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 6.25 million (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 99 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products

milk, wheat, potatoes, cotton, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes, barley, beef, lamb/mutton (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on food: 36.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 2.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

revenues: $5.954 billion (2019 est.) expenditures: $6.134 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

$3.696 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

upper-middle-income Central Asian economy; houses fourth-largest natural gas reserves and rich in natural resources; authoritarian and dominated by state-owned enterprises; challenges include overvalued currency, high inflation risks, lack of economic diversification due to heavy state control and bureaucracy

Exchange rates

Turkmenistani manat (TMM) per US dollar - 4.125 (2017 est.) 3.5 (2016 est.) 3.5 (2015 est.) 3.5 (2014 est.)

Exports

$13.111 billion (2023 est.) $14.67 billion (2022 est.) $10.282 billion (2021 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, crude petroleum, electricity (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 63%, Turkey 11%, Greece 7%, Uzbekistan 6%, Azerbaijan 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$64.24 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 11.3% (2023 est.) industry: 39.3% (2023 est.) services: 49.4% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$7.563 billion (2023 est.) $7.362 billion (2022 est.) $6.25 billion (2021 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

broadcasting equipment, cars, wheat, computers, iron pipes (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Turkey 21%, UAE 21%, China 20%, Kazakhstan 8%, Germany 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries

natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

11.5% (2022 est.) 19.5% (2021 est.) 6.1% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

2.445 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

24.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$134.555 billion (2024 est.) $131.576 billion (2023 est.) $123.778 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.3% (2024 est.) 6.3% (2023 est.) 6.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$18,000 (2024 est.) $17,900 (2023 est.) $17,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Remittances

0% of GDP (2023 est.) 0% of GDP (2022 est.) 0% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Unemployment rate

4.4% (2024 est.) 4.1% (2023 est.) 4.2% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 9.6% (2024 est.) male: 14.7% (2024 est.) female: 6% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

imports: 200 metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 799.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 6.512 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 21.526 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 9 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 3.258 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

261.142 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

production: 84.277 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 44.936 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 41.334 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 11.327 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 272,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 152,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 600 million barrels (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

106.215 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 100 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 18.062 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 88.153 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

subtropical desert

Environmental issues

soil and groundwater pollution from agricultural chemicals and pesticides; salination, waterlogging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; river diversion for irrigation; soil erosion; desertification

International environmental agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 84.2% (2023 est.) arable land: 3.4% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 80.8% (2023 est.) forest: 5% (2023 est.) other: 10.7% (2023 est.)

Methane emissions

energy: 5,451.4 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 294.9 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 44.1 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 1.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

28.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

24.765 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 453.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 806.765 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 16.12 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 54% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 500,000 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15.3% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 488,100 sq km land: 469,930 sq km water: 18,170 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California

Climate

subtropical desert

Coastline

0 km (landlocked) note: Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

Elevation

highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya (Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya, the lake has dropped as low as -110 m) -81 m mean elevation: 230 m

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 60 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

Irrigated land

16,459 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 4,158 km border countries (4): Afghanistan 804 km; Iran 1,148 km; Kazakhstan 413 km; Uzbekistan 1,793 km

Land use

agricultural land: 84.2% (2023 est.) arable land: 3.4% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 80.8% (2023 est.) forest: 5% (2023 est.) other: 10.7% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s): Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km)

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

earthquakes; mudslides; droughts; dust storms; floods

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt

Population distribution

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

Terrain

flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west

Administrative divisions

5 provinces ( velayatlar , singular - velayat ) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Velayat (Arkadag), Ashgabat*, Balkan Velayat (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Velayat, Lebap Velayat (Turkmenabat), Mary Velayat note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; exceptions show the administrative center name in parentheses

Capital

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 Turkmen words ushq , meaning "love," and abad , meaning "inhabited place" or "town;" the city was originally a military outpost built in 1881 that took its name from an ancient settlement on the site

Citizenship

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

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 14 September 2016 amendment process: proposed by the Assembly or Mejlis; passage requires two-thirds majority vote or absolute majority approval in a referendum

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turkmenistan local long form: none local short form: Turkmenistan former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic etymology: the suffix - stan means "land," so the country name means the "Land of the Turkmen [people];" the people's name means "Turk-like," from the Persian words tork and mandan , referring to their formerly nomadic lifestyle that differed from the settled Turks of Turkey

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth ROOD (since 31 July 2024) embassy: 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat 744000 mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070 telephone: [993] (12) 94-00-45 FAX: [993] (12) 94-26-14 email address and website: ConsularAshgab@state.gov https://tm.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Meret ORAZOV (since 14 February 2001) chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500 FAX: [1] (202) 588-1500 email address and website: turkmenembassyus@verizon.net https://usa.tmembassy.gov.tm/en

Executive branch

chief of state: President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022) head of government: President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 7-year term (no term limits) most recent election date: 12 March 2022 election results: 2022: Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV elected president; percent of vote - Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 73%, Khydyr NUNNAYEV (independent) 11.1%, Agadzhan BEKMYRADOV (IAP) 7.2%, other 8.7% 2017: Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV (DPT) 97.7%, other 2.3% expected date of next election: 2029 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Flag

description: green field with a vertical red stripe near the left side; the stripe has five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches; five five-pointed white stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper left corner of the main field meaning: the green color and crescent moon stand for Islam, the five stars for the country's regions, and the guls for national identity

Government type

presidential republic; authoritarian

Independence

27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges and organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers) judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms subordinate courts: High Commercial Court; appellate courts; provincial, district, and city courts; military courts

Legal system

civil law system with Islamic (sharia) law influences

Legislative branch

legislature name: Assembly (Mejlis) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 56 (48 indirectly elected; 8 appointed) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 3/28/2021 parties elected and seats per party: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (DPT) (65); Groups of citizens of Turkmenistan (28); Agrarian Party (24); Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (8) percentage of women in chamber: 25.5% expected date of next election: March 2028

National anthem(s)

title: "Garaşsyz, Bitarap T rkmenistanyň" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem) lyrics/music: collective/Veli MUKHATOV history: adopted 1997; lyrics revised in 2008 to eliminate references to deceased President Saparmurat NYYAZOW

National color(s)

green, white

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 5 (4 cultural, 1 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Ancient Merv (c); Kunya-Urgench (c); Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (c); Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n); Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (c)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

National symbol(s)

Akhal-Teke horse

Political parties

Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan or TAP Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan or TSTP The Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or TDP note: all parties support President BERDIMUHAMEDOV; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Present-day Turkmenistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. Various Persian empires ruled the area in antiquity, and Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians conquered it. In medieval times, Merv (located in present-day Mary province) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmen territories later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik resistance in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence when the USSR dissolved in 1991. President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, a deputy chairman under NIYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOV won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in 2007, and again in 2012 and 2017 with over 97% of the vote in elections widely regarded as undemocratic. In 2022, BERDIMUHAMEDOV announced that he would step down from the presidency and called for an election to replace him. His son, Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV, won the ensuing election with 73% of the vote. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, although no longer head of state, maintains an influential political position as head of the Halk Maslahaty (People s Council) and as National Leader of the Turkmen People, a title that provides additional privileges and immunity for him and his family. Since Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV stepped down from the presidency, state-controlled media upgraded his honorific from Arkadag (protector) to Hero-Arkadag, and began referring to Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV as Arkadagly Serdar, which can be translated as "Serdar who has a protector to support him." Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. Turkmenistan's reliance on gas exports has made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in the global energy market, and economic hardships since the drop in energy prices in 2014 have led many citizens of Turkmenistan to emigrate, mostly to Turkey.

Military - note

the military is responsible for external defense and works closely with the Border Service on protecting the country s borders; areas of emphasis for the military include border security, competition on the Caspian Sea, regional stability, and military modernization; while Turkmenistan has a policy of permanent and "positive" neutrality and has declined to participate in post-Soviet military groupings such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has participated in multinational exercises and bilateral training with neighboring countries, including Russia and Uzbekistan; Turkmenistan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994, but it does not offer any military forces to NATO-led operations (2025)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (aka Turkmen National Army): Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, Turkmen (National) Police, Federal/State Border Guard Service (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimated 35,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is comprised largely of Russian/Soviet-era armaments with smaller quantities from suppliers such as Brazil, China, Italy, and T rkiye (2025)

Military expenditures

1.9% of GDP (2019 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2018 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2017 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2016 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service for men and volunteer service for men and women; 24-month conscript service obligation (2025)

Age structure

0-14 years: 24.5% (male 711,784/female 692,967) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 1,956,740/female 1,984,333) 65 years and over: 6.9% (2024 est.) (male 174,346/female 223,981)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

16.43 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 0.2% (2019) women married by age 18: 6.1% (2019)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.1% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

65% (2019 est.)

Death rate

5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 45.8 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 35.6 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 10.1 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 9.9 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 100% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

2.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 29.6% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.99 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

5.6% of GDP (2021) 8.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 35 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 43.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% major-language sample(s): D n Faktlar Kitaby esasy maglumatlaryň wajyp eşmesidir (Turkmen) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.4 years (2024 est.) male: 69.4 years female: 75.5 years

Literacy

total population: 99.9% (2022 est.) male: 99.9% (2022 est.) female: 99.9% (2022 est.)

Major urban areas - population

902,000 ASHGABAT (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 31.6 years (2025 est.) male: 30.7 years female: 31.7 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

24.2 years (2019)

Nationality

noun: Turkmenistani(s) adjective: Turkmenistani

Net migration rate

-1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.6% (2016)

Physician density

1.93 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

total: 5,744,151 (2024 est.) male: 2,842,870 female: 2,901,281

Population distribution

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

0.88% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim 93%, Christian 6.4%, Buddhist 1%, folk religion 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, unspecified 1% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years (2023 est.) male: 12 years (2022 est.) female: 12 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 4.8% (2025 est.) male: 9.4% (2025 est.) female: 0.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.02 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 54% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Key space-program milestones

2015 - first commercial telecommunications satellite (Turkmen Sat 52E) built by European company and launched by US 2024 - announced beginning of program to develop or acquire a second communications satellite

Space agency/agencies

Turkmenistan National Space Agency (established 2011; transferred to the Space Department of the Ministry of Communications in 2019) (2025)

Space program overview

has a small space program focused on acquiring satellites and developing the infrastructure to build and operate satellites; particularly interested in communications and remote sensing satellites; has cooperated with the space agencies and/or space industries of France, Italy, Russia, South Korea, and the US (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 3,409 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Turkmenistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Turkmenistan was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/turkmenistan/

Airports

23 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

EZ

Heliports

25 (2025)

Merchant marine

total: 73 (2023) by type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 8, other 59

Railways

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