Real Wages in Türkiye Erode by Over ₺218 Billion in H1 2025
Wages in Turkey
According to a July 2025 report by the DİSK Research Center (DİSK-AR), wage earners in Türkiye collectively lost at least ₺218.3 billion in the first half of 2025 due to inflation and fiscal deductions. The report highlights that the average income loss per worker reached ₺6,485, with civil servants losing ₺10,445, pensioners ₺3,193, and minimum wage earners ₺3,685.
DİSK-AR warned that the real losses are likely much higher, as the official 16.67% inflation rate reported by TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) significantly understates actual price increases.
How the Erosion Happens: Cuts, Taxes, and Price Pressures
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For a worker earning three times the minimum wage, nearly half of their gross ₺78,000 salary was eroded due to taxes, social premiums, and inflation.
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Net income for this bracket dropped to ₺42,773, with ₺26,687 lost to deductions and another ₺8,557 wiped out by inflation.
Depending on their wage bracket, six-month losses were calculated as:
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₺25,750 for workers earning 2.5x the minimum wage
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₺19,941 for those earning 2x the minimum wage
Minimum Wage Shrinks Before It Hits Pockets
The ₺26,006 gross minimum wage effectively fell by ₺7,586 due to combined effects of social security premiums (₺3,901) and inflation (₺3,685). DİSK-AR criticized that “the minimum wage evaporates before it even reaches workers.”
Civil Servants and Retirees Also Hit Hard
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Public servants suffered added loss as their January 2025 raise (11.54%) lagged behind inflation (15.75%). The real value of the lowest civil servant salary dropped from ₺43,726 to ₺34,596, a ₺9,130 loss.
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Pensioners experienced a ₺2,412 loss, with real income falling from ₺14,469 to ₺12,057 over the six months.
Widening Inequality and Fiscal Criticism
The report further accused government policies of exacerbating income inequality, shifting the burden of inflation directly onto wage earners, and using underreported inflation as a tool to suppress real incomes.
DİSK-AR concluded:
“These losses represent a minimum estimate. With actual inflation far higher than official figures, the true erosion in labor incomes is much more severe.”
