KTAMS President Güven Bengihan announced that as of April 30, 2025, the poverty line for a family of four has increased to 29,787 Turkish Lira.
Bengihan explained that this figure was calculated based on a report derived from data provided by the Department of Inpatient Treatment Facilities under the Ministry of Health. The report considers the average prices of essential food items based on the National Statistical Service’s data, used to determine the minimum cost required for a balanced and healthy diet for a four-person family.
He detailed that daily essential food expenses are approximately 256.39 TL for an adult woman, amounting to monthly costs of about 7,691.70 TL, and 266.89 TL for an adult man, or roughly 8,006.70 TL per month. For children aged 15-19, the daily cost is around 281.88 TL (monthly 8,456.40 TL), and for 4-6-year-old children, it is 187.74 TL daily (monthly 5,632.20 TL). “The total monthly necessary expenditure for a balanced and adequate diet for a family of four stands at 29,787 TL,” Bengihan stated.
He also pointed out that according to the Statistical Institute’s data, inflation in April reached 4.06%, with cumulative inflation from January to April at 13.08%. Bengihan criticised the current calculation system, emphasising that it does not reflect actual social consumption habits, as the consumer price index (CPI) basket used is outdated.
Bengihan called for an urgent update of the CPI basket, arguing that “as repeatedly highlighted by our union, the current CPI base year of 2015=100 is no longer relevant, and its use does not accurately reflect societal consumption patterns. Updating the basket is essential to provide a realistic assessment of living costs and the poverty threshold.”
