Hunger line surpasses Turkey’s 2024 minimum wage in January: union – Turkish Minute

Data released by the Public Service Employees Union (Birleşik KAMU-İŞ) shows that the hunger line, which refers to the amount a family of four has to spend on basic food expenses, was TL 17,442 ($576) in January, overtaking the minimum wage, which was raised by 49 percent in late December to a net TL 17,002, $578 at the time but currently valued at $561.

The union’s research unit, KAMU-AR, revealed that the hunger threshold increased by TL 959 compared to December and reached TL 17,442 in January. This rise puts further strain on families struggling to make ends meet on the minimum wage of TL 17,002.

The poverty line, which also includes the cost of rent and utilities for a family of four, increased by TL 1,658 ($54) to 48,459 Turkish lira ($1,600) in the same period, according to KAMU-AR.

The data further showed that while the annual increase in the hunger line was TL 7,646 ($252), the annual increase in the poverty line was TL 21,501 ($710).

According to prices at supermarkets with the highest shopping volume in the Turkish capital of Ankara, the monthly expenditure necessary for a balanced diet that includes meat, fish and eggs reached TL 4,659 ($153) in January, an increase of TL 122 ($4) over the previous month.

The spending on legumes rose to 368 Turkish lira, marking a monthly increase of TL 12 ($0.4) and a yearly rise of TL 134 ($4.4) compared to the same month in 2023.

Turkey is grappling with soaring inflation, which reached 85 percent last year and was recorded at nearly 65 percent annually last month.

Birleşik KAMU-İŞ uses these thresholds to measure the minimum amount a four-person family needs to spend to maintain a balanced diet and cover other essential expenses. The data serves as a critical barometer for gauging the economic health of the average Turkish family.

The spike in the hunger threshold is part of a larger economic crisis affecting Turkey, marked by high inflation and unemployment. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces criticism for economic mismanagement and the suppression of dissent, including the jailing of opponents on politically motivated charges.