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Türkiye is heading into the new year with sharply higher food prices continuing to strain household budgets.
New data shows that the cost of preparing a traditional New Year’s table has increased fourteenfold since 2020, driven largely by sustained food inflation and rising production costs.
The cost of a standard New Year’s meal, including a main dish, side items, snacks, and drinks, rose from ₺346.4 ($8.1) in 2020 to ₺4,789 ($18.5) in 2025, as reported by Ekonomim. This represents an increase of 1.28% over five years and a 28 percent rise compared with last year alone.
Despite a slowdown in overall inflation in 2025, food prices have continued to rise faster than general consumer prices, reducing purchasing power and forcing households to scale back.
The steepest increases have been recorded in turkey and chicken menus, which remain central to New Year’s celebrations in Türkiye.
In 2020, an eight-to-ten-person ready-to-serve turkey menu sold for ₺319 in major supermarket chains. By the end of 2025, the same menu had reached ₺4,590. Chicken-based menus followed a similar trend, rising from ₺119 in 2020 to ₺1,590 this year.
Price increases accelerated after 2021. In 2022 alone, turkey menu prices rose by more than 170%. By 2023, prices exceeded ₺2,299. In 2025, the annual increase stood at 28% for turkey and 7% for chicken menus, according to data cited by Ekonomim.
Analysts link the surge to rising feed costs, transportation expenses, and broader production pressures that have continued to weigh on food prices.
Rising food prices have had a clear impact on household budgets, particularly for minimum wage earners.
In 2020, a worker earning the minimum wage could afford to prepare around seven New Year’s tables with a monthly salary. That figure has steadily declined. By 2025, the same income allows for fewer than five comparable meals.
The increase has not been limited to main dishes. Traditional New Year’s snacks have also seen sharp price hikes. In 2020, half a kilogram of mixed nuts and a 2.5-liter bottle of cola cost ₺27.4.
By 2025, the same items reached ₺199. Five years ago, shoppers received a substantial change from a ₺200 bill. This year, that amount barely covers the purchase.
Price data shows steady annual increases, with particularly sharp rises after 2022. By 2024, the same snack combination cost nearly ₺140, before climbing further in 2025.
Although New Year’s Eve remains an important moment of celebration in Türkiye, rising food prices have reshaped how many households mark the occasion. Families increasingly reduce portions, limit guest numbers, or remove traditional items from the table.
Economists warn that unless food inflation slows further, pressure on household spending will continue into 2026.
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