Turkish family monthly budget increases 522 TL year-on-year

Duvar English

Based on a November study, the labor union Turk-İş has determined that the current hunger threshold for a family of four in Turkey is 2102 TL per month, while the poverty threshold for a family of the same size is 6489 TL. Regarding food products and other necessities, the study indicated the average monthly budget for a family has increased by 522 TL since last year. 

The net minimum wage in Turkey is currently 2020 TL per month, which falls slighly under the most recent hunger threshold established by Türk-İş. 

The hunger threshold refers to the minimum food expenditures required to sustain a family of four, while the poverty threshold pertains to the total living costs including rent, bills, transportation, clothing and food. A salary of 6-7000 TL per month is considered quite decent in Turkey, yet according to the poverty threshold someone earning that income would just be able to support a family of four. 

The union determined that the basic minimum living expenditures required by a single person is 2577 TL a month. Food prices have increased by 8.24 percent year-on-year, according to the union. 

While the prices of certain food products, such as meat, dairy products, grains, tea and sugar have stayed the same, there have been notable increases in the prices of fruits and vegetables. 

Prior to the local elections in March of this year, the government set up numerous fruit and vegetable stands in some the country's major cities, where produce was sold at a subsidized and affordable rate. Given the increased prices of produce at the market, the stands were very popular among the public, though they were quickly removed following the elections.