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.

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.

However, the share of the total income received by half of the population remains at only 22.8 percent.

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."

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."

Gökçe emphasized that the share of the top 25 percent income group in total income has risen to 54.4 percent, stating the following:

"This means that while 25 people receive 54.4 liras out of every 100 liras, the remaining 75 people share only 45.6 liras"

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.

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 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:

"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.

"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."