Refugees in Türkiye

Overall objectives

The main objective of this activity is to include the refugee population in a survey based on the World Bank’s Informal Sector Enterprise Survey (ISES) methodology in Türkiye for the first time, enabling a systematic comparison between refugee-owned and national-owned businesses. Türkiye hosts one of the world’s largest protracted refugee populations—2.9 million people, primarily from Syria—and has established a legal framework supporting their inclusion.

This inclusion will generate new microdata and evidence to inform UNHCR’s livelihood strategies and programs, support World Bank operations, and guide strategic policy discussions with government partners. The findings will enhance understanding of the types of businesses refugees operate and the challenges they face, benefiting initiatives like the UNHCR-IFC Joint Initiative to expand private sector engagement and the World Bank’s Private Sector for Refugees program, which aims to boost business and employment growth among displaced populations and host communities.

Activity description

The ISES uses a two-stage sampling method: first, a listing exercise identifies all eligible businesses, including those operated by refugees; second, a sample is selected for detailed interviews. The sampling will be adjusted to increase the selection probability of refugee-run businesses. If refugee status proves sensitive, specialized question techniques will be applied to ensure accurate identification. This pilot will also adapt ISES methodology and training materials for refugee-dense settings.

Key activities include:

• Preparation and technical support to incorporate refugee-specific elements in survey design, sampling, and enumerator training, based on EGRISS International Recommendations for Refugee Statistics.
• Implementation of the survey by a local data collection firm, with quality controls and real-time monitoring.
• Production of policy-relevant analysis, including refugee business profiles in the country report, a thematic brief on informal refugee businesses, and inclusion in the World Bank Enterprise Survey dashboard.
• Dissemination of findings in coordination with UNHCR, the World Bank, government, and private sector stakeholders. Anonymized microdata will be publicly released via the WBES data portal and UNHCR Microdata Library.

Engagement with partners

The activity will be jointly led by the World Bank’s Enterprise Analysis Unit (DECEA) and UNHCR’s Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS). The team will maintain close collaboration with the IFC-UNHCR Joint Initiative to ensure that the data and insights generated support efforts to promote private sector engagement in refugee contexts.

Background and Context

Türkiye hosts nearly 3 million Syrian refugees who, despite legal and practical challenges, increasingly engage in small-scale business activities to sustain their livelihoods. While data on refugees’ general socioeconomic conditions have improved in recent years, systematic evidence on their business operations remains limited.

Existing surveys such as the World Bank’s Enterprise Survey (ES) provide nationally representative data on formal firms but exclude many livelihoods such as informal enterprises, where many refugee-owned businesses operate. To address this gap, a methodology based on the World Bank’s Informal Sector Enterprise Survey (ISES) collects data on unregistered businesses through geographically based sampling, which allows identification of refugee-operated enterprises—an approach not possible with the ES, which relies on official registries lacking information on refugee status.

In Türkiye, qualitative research has underscored the significance of informal entrepreneurship among Syrian refugees since 2011. Capturing more comprehensive data on these businesses will help build a clearer understanding of their economic activities and the challenges they face.