The 1914 Ottoman census was published as the ''Memalik-i-Osmaniyyenin 1330 Senesi Nütus Istatistiki''. According to the introduction, the statistics were derived from data collected during the 1905–06 Ottoman census, adjusted to reflect demographic and territorial changes. The 1914 census data reflected major changes in the territorial boundaries and administrative divisions of the Ottoman state. The 1914 Ottoman general election provided a significant source of population data. The Empire's total population in the census was recorded as 18,520,015. The grand total for 1914 showed a "net gain" of 1,131,454 people from the 1905-06 Ottoman census survey. The data reflected the loss of territory and population in Europe due to the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...

, as the total net gain within the Ottoman state’s population was 3,496,068. The census underestimated non-Muslim populations. For example, in Diyarbekir, the Armenian population was reported at 73,226 in the 1914 Ottoman census, but in September 1915, Reshid Bey announced that he had deported 120,000 Armenians from the province.

Census data

As a result of the substantial territorial losses in Europe suffered during the Balkan Wars, the total population of the Empire fell to 18,520,016, of whom, an even larger percentage than before—15,044,846—were counted as Muslim, with 1,729,738 as Greek Orthodox, 1,161,169 as Armenian Gregorian, 187,073 as Jewish, 68,838 as Armenian Catholic, 65,844 as Protestant, and 62,468 as Greek Catholic. No separate figures were given for Franks. The capital,

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

(Istanbul) was an important location due to expulsions from the Balkan Wars. According to the 1914 census, its population increased slightly to 909,978, excluding Franks, with 560,434

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

s, 205,375

Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...

, 72,963 Armenian Gregorian, 52,126

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, 9,918 Armenian Catholics, 2,905

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, 1,213

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, and 387 Greek Catholics. :¹ Sanjak

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * {{Ottoman Census Demographics of the Ottoman Empire 1914 in the Ottoman Empire 1914 censuses