Economist İnan Mutlu reacts sharply to social assistance data: How they have impoverished families is visible in official figures

According to the announced official data, approximately 4 million households in Turkey struggled to survive on social assistance in 2025. Economist İnan Mutlu criticized this painful picture and the share of these benefits within the budget with harsh words.

Approximately 12 Million People in Need of Social Assistance

According to the table titled "Social Assistance in Turkey by the Numbers (2025)," the total number of households benefiting from social assistance in 2025 reached 3 million 991 thousand 766. Considering the average household size in Turkey, this figure means that approximately 12 million people need state support to maintain their lives.

According to the same table, although the total amount of social assistance expenditure appears to be 587.1 billion TL, it is noteworthy that the share of these benefits in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remained at only 0.94%.

"The Social Assistance They Provide Is Peanuts, Not Even 1 Percent of National Income"

Evaluating the data in the table, Economist İnan Mutlu drew attention to the gap between the rhetoric politicians use regarding the concept of "family" and economic realities. Criticizing the government's policies, Mutlu stated that the misery millions of families have fallen into is registered by official figures and used the following expressions:

"They never stop talking about the family. Yet, how they have impoverished families is visible in official figures. In 2025, a total of 3 million 991 thousand 766 households received social assistance. Approximately 12 million people... The social assistance they provide is peanuts... Not even 1 percent of the national income..."

Economist Mutlu's striking analysis has reopened the debate on both the massive scale of the population in need of assistance and the inadequacy of the allocated budget. The fact that social assistance does not even reach 1 percent of GDP is interpreted as one of the clearest indicators of how vulnerable low-income citizens have been left in the face of the economic crisis.

News Source: 12punto