Minimum wage hike falls behind kitchen inflation: Food price increases have not stopped for 76 months

The September 2026 food price index from the Birleşik Kamu-İş Confederation's R&D unit, KAMUAR, has revealed that the rise in kitchen expenses continues. According to a basket of 64 basic food items compiled from prices collected at major chain supermarkets across Turkey, food prices rose by 2.7 percent in September compared to the previous month.

According to the research, the increase, which had partially slowed during the summer months, accelerated again in September. Monthly increases were 1.9 percent in June, 1.6 percent in July, and 0.5 percent in August. KAMUAR reported that food prices have been rising on a monthly basis without interruption for 76 months.

In the first nine months of the year, the total increase in the food basket exceeded 40 percent. It was observed that the 27 percent increase in the minimum wage during the same period remained behind the rise in basic food expenditures.

ANNUAL INCREASE IN VEGETABLES EXCEEDED 137 PERCENT

Price increases were recorded in all food expenditure groups in September. While the monthly increase in the bread, rice, flour, and bulgur group was 0.3 percent, there was a 3.4 percent increase in meat and fish, a 1.1 percent increase in dairy products and eggs, and a 2.6 percent increase in margarine and vegetable oil.

Fruit prices rose by 4.6 percent and fresh vegetable prices by 4.9 percent in September. The sharpest increase of the month was seen in the pulses group at 9.1 percent. The increase in the group containing processed food products such as tomato paste, olives, honey, tea, salt, and similar items was 3.1 percent.

In the January-September period, bread, flour, bulgur, and pasta prices increased by 35.5 percent. During the same period, a 34.5 percent rise was calculated in meat and fish prices, 29.6 percent in dairy products and eggs, and 15.7 percent in oil prices. The increase in fruit was recorded at 54.1 percent, and in vegetables at 100.1 percent.

In the last one-year table, the general increase in food prices reached 52.3 percent. While the annual rise in vegetable prices drew attention at 137.6 percent, increases of 56.4 percent in fruit, 55.2 percent in pulses, and 49.2 percent in meat and fish were determined.

According to KAMUAR's five-year comparison, the cost of a food basket that could be purchased for 100 liras in September 2021 rose to 2,343 liras in September 2026. It was stated that the increase in the average wages of public employees remained behind food prices during the same period, and the erosion of purchasing power continues.

The research also stated that the average food prices for the last 12 months increased by 55.5 percent compared to the previous 12-month average. During this period, the highest average increase was seen in vegetables at 101.2 percent, followed by fruit at 84.6 percent, and the meat-fish group at 60.1 percent.