Turkey’s Poverty Threshold Nears Six Figures

Turkey’s latest cost-of-living figures reveal a worsening economic strain on working households, as the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ) released its November 2025 report signaling that poverty is becoming increasingly widespread. According to the organization’s research, the hunger threshold for a family of four has risen to 29,828 TL, while the poverty threshold has surged to 97,159 TL, edging closer to the symbolic 100,000 TL mark. The findings underscore the mounting pressure on incomes, particularly for low- and fixed-wage earners who are facing rapidly rising costs in essential goods and services.

The report notes that annual food inflation reached 45.07%, intensifying concerns over access to adequate nutrition and basic needs. TÜRK-İŞ emphasized that the financial burden has grown most visibly among single workers: the monthly cost of living for an individual is calculated at 38,752 TL, a figure that surpasses the current minimum wage by 16,648 TL. The organization highlights that this gap demonstrates how millions of workers earning the minimum wage remain far below a dignified standard of living.

Cost of Living Gap Widens Sharply for Single Workers and Families

TÜRK-İŞ’s latest assessments point to a growing disconnect between household costs and wages in Turkey. As basic food items continue to rise in price, the hunger threshold, which reflects the amount required for healthy, balanced nutrition, has been recalculated at 29,828 TL for a four-person household in Ankara. This metric alone illustrates the challenge families face before even accounting for non-food essentials.

When additional expenses such as clothing, rent, heating, transportation, education, and healthcare are factored in, the poverty line climbs dramatically to 97,159 TL. This means that a household must earn nearly 100,000 TL per month to maintain a standard of living that avoids economic deprivation. TÜRK-İŞ notes that the figure highlights the steep rise in generalized living costs and the growing strain placed on middle- and lower-income segments.

A particularly striking point in the November findings is the disparity between the monthly cost of living for a single employee and the current minimum wage. The report calculates:

Cost of Living for a Single Worker: 38,752 TL
Current Minimum Wage: 22,104.67 TL
Gap: 16,648 TL

This discrepancy shows that even individuals supporting only themselves must earn well above the legal minimum to avoid financial hardship. TÜRK-İŞ stresses that this growing divide is a clear indicator of deepening poverty, as minimum-wage earners struggle to meet basic needs amid rising prices.

Food Inflation Hits Households Hard as Essential Costs Keep Climbing

The organization’s November measurements also detail the escalating pace of food inflation. According to the report:

Monthly Increase: Food expenditures rose by 4.98% in November.
Annual Increase: The year-on-year rise in food prices climbed to 45.07%.

These figures illustrate how rapidly food inflation is eroding purchasing power and pushing households into progressively more precarious conditions. TÜRK-İŞ warns that if wages are adjusted only in line with inflation, deteriorating living standards will not improve, and poverty will become entrenched.

The confederation emphasized that low- and fixed-income households are not responsible for the inflationary environment; rather, they are the most severely affected by it. TÜRK-İŞ reiterated its call for the urgent implementation of economic and social policies designed to shield vulnerable groups, ensuring that wage earners can meet basic living needs without falling further behind.

KAMU-AR: Even Four Minimum Wages Do Not Meet the Poverty Line

Supporting TÜRK-İŞ’s analysis, separate evaluations from KAMU-AR show that even the combined income of four minimum wages fails to meet the poverty threshold. This comparison reinforces a concerning picture: while the minimum wage remains a key reference point for millions of workers, it has drifted far from the real cost of sustaining a household.

The combined insights from the November report highlight a persistent and worsening affordability crisis. As inflation accelerates and essential expenses continue to rise, both families and single workers confront increasingly severe financial pressures. The proximity of the poverty threshold to the 100,000 TL range reflects not only inflationary trends but also structural distortions in wage adequacy.

Urgent Call for Policy Intervention

TÜRK-İŞ warns that without a significant shift in policymaking, the country risks locking its workforce into sustained economic insecurity. The confederation’s message is clear: stabilizing purchasing power and protecting household welfare require more than routine wage adjustments — they demand comprehensive reforms that address income support, price stability, and social safety measures.

As Turkey approaches its subsequent minimum wage negotiations, the November figures provide a stark reminder that the economic challenges faced by workers continue to escalate, with no immediate relief in sight unless decisive measures are taken.