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The minimum amount required to cover essential nutritional needs, known as the hunger threshold, rose to ₺30,143 ($702.13) in December for a family of four, widening the gap with the newly set minimum wage, which was already below this level, according to the latest survey by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Turk-Is).
Türkiye recently set the gross monthly minimum wage for 2026 at ₺28,075, a rate expected to apply to around 9.5 million workers nationwide.
According to the survey, although food inflation eased slightly—with prices rising 1.06% in December and annual inflation falling to 40.15%—Türk-Is reported that minimum food spending for a four-person household in Ankara increased by 42.97% over the year.
The poverty threshold, which includes total monthly spending requirements such as food, clothing, housing (rent, electricity, water, and heating), transportation, education, and healthcare, rose to ₺98,188.
The union added that the cost of living for a single worker climbed to ₺39,123 per month in December, exceeding the current minimum wage by more than 39%.
In its statement, Türk-Is argued that workers' expectations were not met and that poverty among wage earners continues, adding that millions of workers and their families can no longer meet even their most basic needs and have been condemned to poverty.
It noted that the newly set minimum wage for 2026 is ₺2,068.75 ($48.19) less than the hunger threshold.
Turk-Is argued that the minimum wage should be treated as a living wage, grounded in the principles of a social state and the constitutional right to a dignified life. "This level of income is far from covering even essential expenses such as housing, transportation, healthcare, and education. It remains below the amount required for a healthy and balanced diet," it said.
The union also warned that the purchasing power of wage earners has eroded further, making access to basic food and other essential goods increasingly difficult, and worsening overall living conditions for working households.
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