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Türkiye’s hunger threshold for a family of four, covering only essential food needs, rose 5.5% month-on-month to ₺34,587 ($765.45) in April, the country’s main labor union, Turk-Is, reported Thursday.
The figure is 23.2% or ₺6,512 higher than the minimum wage, the lowest legally payable amount to workers, which was set at ₺28,075 for 2026. The poverty line, which includes broader household expenses such as housing, transport, education, and health care, reached ₺112,661.
Meanwhile, the monthly living cost for a single worker came in at ₺44,802.
According to the union’s report, household food inflation since the start of the year reached 14.7%, while the annual rate stood at 43.9%.
The report pointed to limited price increases in dairy products in April, despite higher production and input costs. Meat prices edged down slightly during the month, while lamb prices remained unchanged.
Fish prices rose as the season neared its end, while chicken prices dropped after a period of increases. Egg prices also declined.
Fruit prices reversed last month’s decline and began trending upward again, while vegetable prices, which had risen previously, fell back. The average price per kilogram was ₺102.35 for vegetables and ₺131.5 for fruit.
Hunger and poverty thresholds do not represent a specific wage level but instead reflect the total income required for a household to live with dignity, according to Turk-Is.
A single worker earning the minimum wage faced an additional ₺2,217 monthly deficit compared to the previous month, with the gap between the cost of living for one person and the minimum wage reaching ₺16,726 as of April, the report found.
"Under current economic conditions, a large share of households, particularly among wage earners, relies on a single income. This makes existing wage levels, especially the minimum wage, insufficient to cover basic needs," the union said.
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