The monthly income needed for a family of four in Turkey to stay above the poverty line rose to 106,817 lira ($2,402) in March, extending a steady climb that has pushed the threshold further out of reach for many households, according to data released by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ).
The March figure was up from 76,922.23 lira in the same month last year, an increase of 38.86 percent, according to TÜRK-İŞ data for March 2025 and March 2026. The union has published the “hunger and poverty threshold” study every month for 39 years, tracking the cost of living for households in Ankara.
TÜRK-İŞ said the monthly food bill for a family of four rose to 32,792 lira in March. When other essential expenses including clothing, housing, transportation, education and health care were added, the poverty threshold reached 106,817 lira. The monthly cost of living for a single worker rose to 42,585 lira.
The data points to continuing pressure on household budgets in Turkey, where food prices in Ankara rose 1.32 percent from the previous month. TÜRK-İŞ said annual growth in food spending reached 38.86 percent in March, while the 12-month average increase stood at 39.30 percent.
The survey is widely followed in Turkey as a measure of how much income is needed to meet basic living costs, though it is based on prices in Ankara rather than nationwide spending. TÜRK-İŞ defines the “hunger threshold” as the minimum monthly food spending required for a family of four to eat a healthy, balanced and adequate diet, while the “poverty threshold” includes other essential monthly expenses.
The latest figures mean the poverty threshold has now remained above 100,000 lira for a second straight month, underscoring how rapidly the basic cost of living has risen.
