Poverty line nears 100,000 TL

TÜRK-İŞ has released its data for the November 2025 period. According to the data, the hunger threshold—which represents the minimum food expenditure required for a family of four in Turkey to have a healthy and balanced diet—has shown a significant increase, approaching 30,000 TL. The poverty line has surged to 97,159 TL, nearing 100,000 liras. Meanwhile, the cost of living for a minimum-wage worker alone has fallen 16,000 liras behind their earnings.

LIVING COST FOR A SINGLE PERSON SURPASSES MINIMUM WAGE

According to the TÜRK-İŞ report, the cost of living for a single worker has far exceeded the minimum wage. The monthly amount required for a single individual to live was calculated at 38,752 TL. However, the current minimum wage is around 22,104 TL, a situation that has increased the gap between a single worker's cost of living and their take-home pay to 16,648 TL.

KITCHEN INFLATION REACHES 45 PERCENT

Another striking figure in the report was kitchen inflation. In November, the increase in food prices was 4.98 percent. On an annual basis, this rate rose to 45.07 percent. The total increase in food prices in the first eleven months of the year reached 41.48 percent. This has laid bare the deepening cost of living crisis in Turkey.

INFLATION-ADJUSTED RAISES WILL MAKE POVERTY PERMANENT

In its report, TÜRK-İŞ emphasized that providing raises only at the rate of inflation would make poverty permanent. The union stated that wage increases would not be able to improve the economic situation of low- and fixed-income groups, and called for "economic and social policies to be implemented without delay."

BİRLEŞİK KAMU-İŞ: HUNGER THRESHOLD EXCEEDS 30,000 LIRAS

The Birleşik Kamu-İş Confederation also published its "Hunger and Poverty Line" report for the November 2025 period. The report revealed that the hunger threshold rose to 30,061 TL, an increase of 266 TL compared to the previous month. It was stated that the poverty line is 93,697 TL. Birleşik Kamu-İş announced the desperation citizens face in markets and bazaars with these figures.

EVEN 4 MINIMUM WAGES CANNOT REACH THE POVERTY LINE

The report showed that even a family with four people working for minimum wage cannot reach the poverty line. Even if four people in the same household work for minimum wage, the total income entering the home remains 5,281 TL below the poverty line.

RETIREE PENSIONS CANNOT ALLEVIATE POVERTY

The situation for retirees is quite dire. According to the TÜRK-İŞ report, the lowest retiree pension can only cover a family's food expenses for 16 days. This creates serious uncertainties regarding the conditions under which retirees will survive for the remaining days.

CIVIL SERVANT SALARIES BELOW THE POVERTY LINE

The situation for public employees is also not encouraging. The lowest civil servant salary can only cover 54 percent of the poverty line. For an average civil servant's salary to reach the poverty line, an increase of 63.5 percent is required.