Turkey's unemployment rate reached 13.7% in 2019 with a 2.7 percentage point rise from the year before, the national statistical body announced Friday.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), the number of unemployed ages 15 and over in Turkey reached 4.4 million last year – a rise of 932,000 compared to 2018.

The country's total labor force, in the meantime, reached 32.55 million, with an increase of 275,000, while the labor participation rate was at 53%, a 0.2% year-on-year decline.

The nonagricultural unemployment rate stood at 16.0% in 2019, with a 3.1% rise.

"The unemployment rate for the 15-24 age group was at 25.4% with 5.1% point increase. The employment rate in this age group was at 33.1% with a 1.9 percentage point decrease," TurkStat noted.

The figure for people between the ages of 15 and 64 increased by 2.8% to reach 14.0%, it added.