DİSK-AR reports: The poor are now even poorer! Food inflation at 109.5 percent

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has announced the consumer inflation figures for January.

According to the data, annual inflation reached a 14-month high, while monthly inflation hit a five-month peak. Food inflation was calculated at 69.71 percent.

The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey Research Center (DİSK-AR), in a statement following the release of the inflation data, noted, "TÜİK announced food inflation for the December 2023 period as 69.71 percent. However, this rate is far from reflecting the real inflation felt by the public," and announced that food inflation for the poorest 20 percent income group is 109.5 percent.

The statement also mentioned that despite the lawsuit filed by DİSK against TÜİK after the latter stopped publishing the item basket price list in June 2022, the item basket data has still not been released.

FOOD INFLATION FOR RETIREES IS 85.6 PERCENT

Stating that "Official average inflation rates are not the rates that low-income earners and laborers encounter and feel in their daily lives," the statement included data from DİSK-AR's research.

According to DİSK-AR data, while average food inflation was 69.7 percent, food inflation for retirees was 85.6 percent.

INFLATION BY INCOME GROUP

While food inflation for the third 20 percent income group was 79.5 percent, food inflation for the second lowest 20 percent group was 91.1 percent, and food inflation for the poorest 20 percent income group was 109.5 percent.

The research report, which included the statement that "It is observed that higher income groups feel lower inflation," noted that food inflation for the fourth (higher) 20 percent income group was 66.7 percent, while food inflation for the highest income group was 50.8 percent.

The report stated, "Thus, while food inflation for the poorest income group was 110 percent, food inflation for the highest income group remained at 51 percent. This situation reveals that inflation is felt significantly differently according to income groups and different social segments and classes."

INCREASED 25-FOLD

In the statement where 2005 and 2024 data were compared, it was stated that the gap between food inflation and general inflation has begun to widen in recent years, and the following was recorded:

"The CPI index, which was 114.49 in 2005, rose to 1,984.02 in January 2024.

The food price index, which was 111.95 in 2005, rose to 2,814.14 in 2024.

Thus, the CPI has increased 17-fold since 2005; food prices have increased 25-fold since 2005.

The annual inflation rate, which was 9.24 percent in 2005, became 64.86 percent in 2024.

Annual food inflation, which was 6.79 percent in 2005, rose to 69.71 percent in 2023.

On the other hand, the gap between food inflation and general inflation has begun to widen in recent years. The food price index, which followed the same trend as the CPI in December 2005, rose 830 points (41.8 percent) above the CPI in January 2024."