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The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

Turkey has drawn attention as one of the worst countries in Europe in terms of income inequality.

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The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

Istanbul Planning Agency President Buğra Gökçe addressed the issue of income inequality in Turkey.
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

Gökçe stated that the wealthiest 5 percent receive 23.3 liras out of every 100 liras, while the wealthiest 10 percent of the population obtain more than one-third of the total income, specifically 33.4 percent.
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

However, the share of the total income received by half of the population remains at only 22.8 percent.
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

Istanbul Planning Agency President Buğra Gökçe drew attention to the significant inequality in the country's income distribution, stating, "Half of the Turkish population does not receive as much of a share of income as the wealthiest 5 percent."
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

Stating that this inequality has deepened over the last 5 years, Gökçek said, "While the bottom 50 percent of the population in terms of income received a 24.5 percent share of the total income in 2019, this rate fell to 22.8 percent in 2023. The rich have become even richer, while the poor have suffered a loss of income."
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

Gökçe emphasized that the share of the top 25 percent income group in total income has risen to 54.4 percent, stating the following:
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

"This means that while 25 people receive 54.4 liras out of every 100 liras, the remaining 75 people share only 45.6 liras"
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

It Has Become Europe's Most Unequal Country

According to the Gini coefficient, which measures income inequality, Turkey has ranked as the worst country in Europe.
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

While Turkey's Gini coefficient is 0.420, the EU average remained at 0.296. Gökçek stated that this rate is 0.36 in Russia, 0.32 in Germany, and 0.31 in Japan.
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

The Wealthy Were Protected, the Poor Became Poorer

Gökçe stated that the economic policies being implemented have put low-income groups in a particularly difficult position, adding the following:

The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

"Resources were transferred to the highest-income classes through practices such as high inflation and the KKM (FX-Protected Deposit Scheme). While the poor became even poorer, the share of the wealthy in total income continuously increased," he said.
The crisis is growing: In Turkey, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor

"We Need a New Roadmap"

Finally, Gökçe emphasized the need for a new economic understanding to change this picture, stating, "One cannot expect different results with the same actors, the same mentality, and the same practices. Turkey needs a new roadmap and change."