Key points
- Türkiye runs a social insurance system: universal General Health Insurance (GSS), compulsory for all residents and managed by the Social Security Institution.
- Coverage reaches 99% of the population: the Health Transformation Program of 2003–2013 raised it from under two-thirds to more than 99% by 2022.
- Care is delivered by family health centres for primary care and by public, university and private hospitals for specialist and inpatient care.
- Contributions are 12.5% of earnings (7.5% employer, 5% employee); outpatient care at family health centres is free, hospital outpatient care carries co-payments, and households paid 19.0% of health spending out of pocket in 2023 (WHO Global Health Expenditure Database).
- Life expectancy at birth was 77.3 years in 2022, and health spending was 4.7% of GDP in 2024 (OECD Health at a Glance 2025).
Direct answer: Türkiye runs a social insurance system: universal General Health Insurance (GSS), compulsory for all residents and managed by the Social Security Institution (SGK). Coverage reaches 99% of the population: the Health Transformation Program of 2003–2013 raised it from under two-thirds to more than 99% by 2022. Care is delivered by family health centres for primary care and by public, university and private hospitals for specialist and inpatient care. Contributions are 12.5% of earnings (7.5% employer, 5% employee); outpatient care at family health centres is free, hospital outpatient care carries co-payments, and households paid 19.0% of health spending out of pocket in 2023 (WHO Global Health Expenditure Database). Life expectancy at birth was 77.3 years in 2022, and health spending was 4.7% of GDP in 2024 (OECD Health at a Glance 2025).
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | Social health insurance — universal (GSS) |
| Who pays | Employer and employee contributions of 12.5% of earnings, plus government funding for people on low incomes; out-of-pocket payments on top |
| Who delivers | Family health centres for primary care; public, university and private hospitals for secondary and tertiary care |
| What is free at the point of use | Outpatient care at family health centres, maternity care, vaccinations and care for children; hospital outpatient care carries co-payments |
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.3 years (2022, OECD Health at a Glance 2025) |
| Health spending | 4.7% of GDP (2024, OECD Health at a Glance 2025) |
| Source for the model and coverage | Commonwealth Fund — Türkiye country profile |
Figures are a snapshot checked 7 November 2026, not a live feed. No country is ranked as best.
How the system works
Between 2003 and 2013 Türkiye implemented its Health Transformation Program, a comprehensive roadmap towards universal health care. In 2006 five existing insurance programmes were merged into one — General Health Insurance (GSS) — making social health insurance compulsory for all and creating the Social Security Institution (SGK) to manage and fund it. Once the programme had taken effect, the share of the population with coverage grew from less than two-thirds in 2002 to more than 99% by 2022 (Commonwealth Fund).
The first point of contact is the family physician at a family health centre: a pilot launched in 2005 made all state-funded primary care run through family health centres, expanded nationwide by 2010, and the family medicine programme now forms the backbone of primary care, with 8,015 family health centres in 2020. Secondary care is provided by public and private hospitals, and tertiary care — advanced specialist services, transplants and high-complexity treatments — by university hospitals. The digital health platform e-Nabız, introduced in 2015, lets patients access their medical records and providers share data nationwide.
Who pays, and what people pay
The system is financed by employer and employee contributions, government funding and out-of-pocket payments. Employers enrol their employees automatically and contribute 12.5% of earnings — 7.5% paid by the employer and 5% by the employee. Self-employed people pay 12.5% of their declared income. People who are unemployed and not covered by social benefits pay 3% of the national gross minimum wage unless they qualify for government support through a means test, and the government covers in full people whose per-capita household income is below one-third of the gross minimum wage. About 12.1% of the population also held private health insurance in 2022, up from 2.8% in 2010. Households paid 19.0% of health spending out of pocket in 2023 (WHO Global Health Expenditure Database).
What is free, and what is not
Outpatient care at public primary care providers such as family physicians is free, and so are maternity care, vaccinations and children’s healthcare, with prescription medicines subsidised or free for low-income people, children and people with chronic conditions. What is not free is the margin: co-payments for outpatient care at public, university and private hospitals, for prescribed medicines above set limits, for glasses above a fixed price, and for assistive devices above set limits (pensioners pay 10%, others 20%). The GSS does not cover palliative care or long-term institutional care, which is limited — most long-term care is provided by family members at home.
How it compares
Türkiye spends 4.7% of GDP on health — the lowest share of GDP among the OECD countries and well below the OECD average of 9.3% — and $2,309 per person, among the lowest in the OECD and far below the OECD average of $5,967 (USD PPP, 2024). Its life expectancy of 77.3 years (2022) is 3.8 years below the OECD average of 81.1 years (2023, OECD Health at a Glance 2025). Its distinguishing feature is the transformation itself: a fragmented system covering under two-thirds of the population rebuilt into universal insurance in a decade, with family medicine as the backbone — while diabetes prevalence, at 16.6% of adults in 2022, is among the highest in the OECD, and the country has among the fewest doctors per person in the OECD table (2.4 per 1,000 people). Compare countries side by side in the Health System Comparison tool, or read the other profiles in the country index.
Frequently asked questions
What is the GSS?
Genel Sağlık Sigortası — General Health Insurance: the single compulsory scheme created in 2006 by merging five earlier insurance programmes. It covers most long-term residents, is managed and funded by the Social Security Institution, and reaches 99% of the population.
Is primary care free?
Yes, at family health centres: outpatient care from a family physician carries no co-payment. Co-payments apply to outpatient care at public, university and private hospitals, and to some medicines and devices above fixed limits.
What is e-Nabız?
Türkiye's national digital health platform, introduced in 2015 and available nationwide. It lets patients access their own medical records and lets health providers share data across the system.