Grocery retail, dealership and kiosk operations remained the most widespread activity among small businesses in Türkiye in January, according to compiled data reported by Hürriyet Daily News.
The sector accounted for around 194,000 tradespeople, making it the largest segment within Türkiye’s 2.25 million artisans and small business owners operating across 184 different professions, the data showed.
In total, approximately 2.3 million registered tradespeople contributed to the economy through 2.5 million workplaces nationwide.
By region, Istanbul led with 283,000 tradespeople, followed by İzmir, Ankara, Antalya and Bursa. At the lower end, Bayburt recorded the smallest number with 2,200, followed by Ardahan, Tunceli, Iğdır and Gümüşhane.
Transport and food-related services also represented major segments. Road freight transport employed 189,000 tradespeople, while restaurant operations accounted for 140,000. Service vehicle operators numbered 100,000, and taxi drivers 86,000.
Women made up 19.25% of all tradespeople, totaling about 435,000, while men accounted for approximately 1.82 million. Overall, tradespeople represented 2.65% of Türkiye’s population.
Business activity remained active at the start of 2026, with 28,000 new businesses registered in January and 13,000 closures. Istanbul again led new registrations with 3,300 new firms.
Access to finance continued, with 17,000 tradespeople receiving a combined 12.6 billion Turkish liras (about $285 million) in loans through state banks and cooperatives.
Exports by small businesses totaled $32.25 million, led by shipments to the United Arab Emirates, followed by Mongolia, Romania, Saudi Arabia and Germany, while imports reached $41.14 million.