Turks Living in Montenegro: Where They Live and What They Need
"Karadağ'da yaşayan Türkler" (Turks living in Montenegro) is a live query in Turkish-language search; Google completes it with "yorumları" (reviews) and "telegram". Next to it sit two more questions: "Karadağ Türk nüfusu" (Montenegro's Turkish population, with 2024 and 2025 attached) and "Karadağ'da Türkçe konuşuluyor mu" (is Turkish spoken in Montenegro; measured 23.09.2026). This article answers those two questions with the official census, and a third — what the community needs in everyday life — with our own platform data.
One limit: this piece rests on measurement, not interviews. We do not go into jobs, wages or the cost of living.
How many Turks live in Montenegro: the official census
According to the 2023 census results of MONSTAT, Montenegro's statistical office, 1,816 people in the country identify ethnically as Turkish — 0.29% of the population. Those who gave Turkish as their mother tongue number 1,823.
The breakdown by municipality is striking:
| Municipality | Turkish population | Share of municipal population |
|---|---|---|
| Podgorica | 956 | 0.53% |
| Budva | 345 | 1.26% |
| Tivat | 178 | 1.09% |
| Bar | 116 | 0.25% |
| Herceg Novi | 54 | 0.18% |
| Kotor | 41 | 0.18% |
| Tuzi | 27 | 0.21% |
| Danilovgrad | 26 | 0.14% |
| Ulcinj | 17 | 0.08% |
| Bijelo Polje | 15 | 0.04% |
Podgorica leads in absolute numbers, but by share Budva and Tivat stand out: in Budva, one person in 80 is Turkish.
Keep one thing in mind when reading these figures: the census asks about ethnic affiliation. Many people who arrived in recent years and hold only Turkish citizenship may not be in this table at all but counted among "citizens of foreign countries" — 7.52% of the population hold only a foreign citizenship, but the census does not break that group down by country in this table. So the real Turkish community is larger than 1,816; officially, we do not know by how much.
For how many people Turkish is the everyday language: the census language tables
The same census asks two separate language questions: mother tongue and language usually spoken. For Turkish, the results are:
| Municipality | Turkish as mother tongue | Usually speak Turkish |
|---|---|---|
| Podgorica | 959 | 832 |
| Budva | 357 (1.30%) | 330 (1.20%) |
| Tivat | 199 (1.22%) | 176 (1.08%) |
| Bar | 110 | 87 |
| Herceg Novi | 56 | 55 |
| Kotor | 44 | 33 |
| Montenegro total | 1,823 | 1,603 |
The gap between the two columns is small but meaningful: one in eight people whose mother tongue is Turkish uses another language in daily life — most likely the local one. In Budva and Tivat, one person in a hundred usually speaks Turkish, more than four times the national average.
One more ratio: a third of the 1,603 people who usually speak Turkish (506) live in Budva and Tivat — yet those two municipalities hold only 7% of the country's population. In Montenegro, Turkish is a language of the coast more than of the capital.
Where Turkish is spoken: the tradespeople side
As of 23.09.2026, 17 verified professionals on the platform state that they work in Turkish:
- Budva: 10
- Podgorica: 4
- Kotor: 2
- Tivat: 1
The distribution points the same way as the census: the heart of Turkish-language service is Budva. 3 of those 17 speak only Turkish; the others also speak English or the local language. By category, 9 work in renovation and building trades (plumbing, tiling, electrics, painting), and the rest in beauty, nutrition, catering, childcare, tutoring, cleaning, pool maintenance and boat services.
The honest answer to "is Turkish spoken in Montenegro" is this: not in government offices or in most of daily life — but for work on your home, especially in Budva, it is possible to find a tradesperson who speaks Turkish.
What the community needs: requests made in Turkish
In April–June 2026 the platform received 10 requests opened in Turkish: 8 from Budva and 2 from Kotor. By subject:
- Birthday cake: 3 (Budva 2, Kotor 1)
- Plumbing renovation: 2 (Budva, both marked "as soon as possible")
- English / Russian lessons: 2 (Budva)
- Turkish-cuisine catering: 1 (Budva)
- Post-construction cleaning: 1 (Budva)
- Day skipper: 1 (Kotor)
The list shows everyday life, not big projects: children's birthdays, language lessons, repairs at home. Search suggestions say the same thing — type "Budva Türk" and Google offers a butcher, a barber, a hairdresser, a grocery and breakfast; type "Podgorica Türk" and it first offers the diplomatic mission (consulate appointments, the embassy) and a grocery.
One gap is plain to see: three cake requests came in, but there is no registered baker on the platform. The demand is there; the supply is not.
The difference between Budva and Podgorica
The census puts the largest Turkish population in Podgorica (956), yet every Turkish-language request came from the coast. One explanation may be that the platform's users are families who arrived in recent years and settled on the coast, while the community in the capital is older and finds solutions within its own circle. That is an interpretation, not a measurement.
The practical consequence is clear: Turkish-language service is easiest to find in Budva, with 10 professionals. Podgorica has 4 Turkish-speaking professionals, and English is the wider door there. Kotor and Tivat have a few; Bar, Herceg Novi and Ulcinj have no registered Turkish-speaking professional.
For a service-led comparison of towns, see which Montenegrin town to live in; for the coast, living in Budva; for the capital, living in Podgorica.
Five things that help in everyday life
- Know the trade names in the local language: vodoinstalater (plumber), električar (electrician), keramičar (tiler), moler (painter), servis klima (AC service). When you cannot find a Turkish-speaking tradesperson, these words open the door.
- You can write your request in Turkish, but add measurements and photos; even a tradesperson who works in English understands a measurement and a photo.
- Allow for the season: the two urgent plumbing requests opened in Turkish expired without a quote at the end of June. Schedule big jobs between October and April.
- Ask for a receipt: a fiscal receipt is the only document you hold if something goes wrong.
- Keep official matters separate: residence permits and registration are not a job for a tradesperson.
For a family staying in Montenegro long term, the legal framework is a separate subject; the application steps and required documents are set out in RoNa Legal's residence permit guide. For the practical order of a move, see our guide to moving to Montenegro, and to find a tradesperson, the services page.
What this article did not measure
We did not conduct interviews; the community's own account is not in this piece. The census measures ethnic affiliation, not the number of Turkish citizens. The platform data is small: 17 professionals, 10 requests, three months. Ratios point the way; absolute numbers do not describe the whole community.
Frequently asked questions
In MONSTAT's 2023 census, 1,816 people identified ethnically as Turkish (0.29%). Newcomers who hold only Turkish citizenship are largely not included in that number; the real community is larger, but there is no official figure.