Minimum wage evaporates by 2,068 TL before it even hits the pocket
According to Türk-İş data for December, the minimum wage set for the beginning of 2026 has fallen 2,068 TL below the hunger threshold. The gap between the hunger and poverty thresholds and the minimum wage is growing steadily.
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The minimum wage of 28,075 TL, which will be applied as of January 2026, has remained insufficient in the face of rising living costs. According to the results of the December research by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş), the hunger threshold—the minimum food expenditure required for a family of four to eat a healthy, balanced, and sufficient diet—has risen to 30,143 TL.
According to the same research, when basic needs such as clothing, housing, transportation, education, and health are included, the poverty threshold was calculated at 98,188 TL. Thus, the poverty threshold has reached 3.5 times the minimum wage. The difference between the hunger threshold and the minimum wage has become 2,068 TL.
On the other hand, the cost of living for a single employee for December was determined to be 39,123 TL. This figure reveals that it is quite difficult for even a single worker to make ends meet with the minimum wage.
While the Türk-İş report highlights that living conditions are becoming increasingly difficult for both families and employees living alone, it emphasizes that the minimum wage remains insufficient to meet basic needs under current economic conditions.