Turkey’s poverty threshold almost four times of minimum wage

Duvar English

Turkey's hunger threshold increased by 202 Turkish liras in July compared to the previous month to 20,776 liras ($630), according to the Birleşik Kamu-İş labor unions confederation’s research

The hunger threshold denotes the monthly food expenditure amount that a family of four living in the capital Ankara should make in order to have a healthy and balanced diet.

The poverty threshold, indicating the total amount of food and other expenditures that a family of four should make in order to live without feeling deprived, rose by 885 liras in July to 62,302 liras ($1,889).

This figure is 3.7 times of the minimum wage which stands at 17,002 liras ($515).

The government decided not to hike the minimum wage in the half of 2024 amid tight monetary policy despite the last two year’s practice.

In the last 12 months, the hunger threshold has increased by 8,056 liras and the poverty threshold by 28,318 liras.

The amount of expenditure required for a family of four to meet their needs except food "without feeling deprived" also climbed to 41,526 liras ($1,259) in July.

In July, expenditures for clothing and footwear for a family of four decreased to 1,945 liras. Housing costs, including rent, climbed to 9,865 liras, while household goods expenditures reached 5,287 liras, and health expenses climbed to 1,703 liras.

Transport costs decreased to 12,450 liras, while communication expenses rose to 1,317 liras. Spending on entertainment and culture reached 1,237 liras, with education expenses at 918 liras and holiday and hotel expenditures totaling 4,569 liras.

The state-run Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) reported annual inflation at 71.6 percent for June, whereas independent inflation research group ENAG put the figure at 113.08 percent.