Turkmenistan — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Turkmenistan: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Turkmenistan is a presidential republic; authoritarian in Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan. It covers 488,100 sq km. 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. Climate: subtropical desert.
| Capital | Ashgabat (Ashkhabad) |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,744,151 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $134.555 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $18,000 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 2.3% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 11.5% (2022 est.) |
| Unemployment | 4.4% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 24.1% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $13.111 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $7.563 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 72.4 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 31.6 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 54% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic; authoritarian |
| Independence | 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union) |
| Languages | Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% |
Turkmenistan’s GDP is $134.555 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $64.24 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 2.3% (2024 est.). See where Turkmenistan ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
No single event defined Jul–Sep 2026. The country's position is the product of long-cycle forces — geography, trade, neighbours — all of which held steady.
Momentum at zero is not stagnation; it is the accurate record of a quarter without a catalyst.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 24% of GDP — room to maneuver; unemployment near 4.4% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: only 0% of electricity from low-carbon sources
Oil, Natural gas, Sulfur, Salt.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 261.142 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 371.2 TWh (2024) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 37.3 TWh (2024) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 49,525 kWh per person (2024) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Solar 0.0%, Hydro 0.0% (2024) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 0.0% (2024) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $13.111 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $7.563 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $5.5 billion (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Serdar Berdimuhamedow — President. President Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV (since 19 March 2022)
Turkmenistan maintains 30 embassies and 9 consulates abroad. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 30 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 9 |
Source: Outbound: Consular Affairs Center (Yonsei Univ.), diplomatic & consular networks database, March 2026 report (Zenodo).
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 23 + 25 heliports (registration prefix EZ) |
| Railways | 5113 km |
| Pipelines | 7,500 km gas, 1501 km oil (2013) |
Major airports
Ashgabat International Airport (ASB) — Ashgabat; Dashoguz International Airport (TAZ) — Daşoguz; Türkmenabat International Airport (CRZ) — Türkmenabat; Balkanabat International Airport (BKN) — Balkanabat; Mary International Airport (MYP) — Mary; Turkmenbaşy International Airport (KRW) — Turkmenbaşy.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | authoritarian rule |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Turkmenistan.
Historical timeline of Turkmenistan
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Turkmenistan — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Turkmenistan's power score?
Turkmenistan has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.