ISTANBUL, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Rising living costs have pushed Türkiye's hunger and poverty thresholds to record highs, underscoring mounting economic pressures on households, a survey by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Turk-Is) revealed on Tuesday.
The study, conducted to track price changes in basic needs, found that in September, a four-person family in the capital Ankara needs 27,970.50 Turkish liras (about 673 U.S. dollars) per month to maintain a healthy, balanced diet -- the national "hunger threshold."
The report noted that the minimum food expenditure for a four-person family rose by 3.17 percent in September from the previous month, while the year-on-year increase reached 41.05 percent.
When other essential expenses such as housing, utilities, transport, education, and healthcare are included, the amount rises to 91,109.11 liras, known as the "poverty threshold."
The survey also calculated the monthly "living cost" for a single worker at 36,304.79 liras, significantly higher than Türkiye's current minimum wage of 22,104 liras.
Despite Türkiye's annual inflation easing to 32.95 percent in August, marking the fifteenth consecutive month of decline, Turk-Is noted that the cost of living remains high, continuing to strain household budgets. ■
