Number of poor children in Turkey sounds the alarm: 7 million children are poor, 2 million in deep poverty

A report published by the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) has revealed that child poverty in Turkey has reached serious dimensions. According to the research based on TurkStat data, 7.03 million children in the 0-17 age group live below the poverty line. While the child poverty rate is calculated at 31.3 percent, this rate rises to 41.4 percent among infants. Especially in recent years, the poverty rate among infants in the 0-2 age group has shown a significant increase compared to 2017. 

TEPAV researcher Ekrem Cünedioğlu stated that child poverty is not limited to material deprivation, noting that children also face difficulties in accessing basic services such as security, health, and education. Emphasizing that a significant portion of children in Turkey grow up in unsafe and unhealthy conditions, Cünedioğlu said, “The fire tragedy in İzmir once again painfully showed the great risks faced by children growing up in poor conditions. We need comprehensive policies for the safety and well-being of our children.” Cünedioğlu pointed out that child poverty includes not only material inadequacies but also obstacles that negatively affect children's developmental processes.

Another study conducted at TEPAV shows that, according to rates calculated using the EUROSTAT methodology, child poverty in Turkey reached 34.4 percent in 2023. TEPAV researcher Hakan Yılmaz stated that 2 million children live in deep poverty. Emphasizing that the child poverty rate in Turkey is 80 percent higher than the European Union average, Yılmaz stated that child protection expenditures in public spending programs remain well behind the EU average.

Yılmaz said, "While the ratio of child protection expenditures to GDP is 5.5 per thousand, this ratio is at the 1.7 percent level in the EU average. This situation shows that the budget allocated to social programs for children in Turkey is a priority issue," stating that social protection programs need to be strengthened.

TEPAV experts state that child poverty in Turkey also negatively affects access to basic social services and that this situation threatens the physical and mental development of children. Researchers point out that equal opportunity in education must be ensured to break the cycle of poverty. A call is being made for the implementation of comprehensive, sustainable social policies for the safety and development of children.