Turkey's statistical authority under fire as inflation at lowest level in 18 months

Photo: DİSK/Twitter

Turkey's official annual inflation rate has been announced as 38.21 percent, the lowest in 18 months. The monthly inflation rate is 3.92 percent, while the 12-month average stands at 59.95 percent. The six-month inflation, which will affect the salary adjustments for civil servants and retirees, is measured at 19.77 percent.

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), which announces inflation data on the 3rd of each month, had delayed this month's announcement by two days due to the Eid al-Adha holiday.

The independent Inflation Research Group (ENAG), composed of academics and economists, had previously stated in a press release on July 3rd that the annual inflation rate was 108.58 percent, the inflation rate for the January-June period was 50.53 percent, and the monthly inflation rate was 8.95 percent.

Protest from union

Following the release of the data, the Confederation of Progressive Workers' Unions (DİSK) held a protest outside the TurkStat headquarters in Ankara, the capital. DİSK Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu and members of the DİSK Executive Board participated in the demonstration.

During the protest, a banner reading "Reveal the truth! Don't tamper with our livelihoods!" was displayed, and slogans such as "TurkStat, keep your hands off our pockets," "TurkStat, don't be surprised, we're running out of patience," and "We won't surrender to misery" were chanted.

DİSK President Arzu Çerkezoğlu emphasized that TurkStat is a public institution that works and serves on behalf of 85 million people, stating, "TurkStat continues to obscure the data. TurkStat is a public institution that works for the benefit of 85 million people."

Referring to the case opened by DİSK against TurkStat for suspending the publication of the price index, which forms the basis for calculating inflation, and the subsequent court ruling in favor of DİSK, Çerkezoğlu said, "Implement the decisions of the judiciary."

Stating that TurkStat should not be an institution that manipulates inflation figures, Çerkezoğlu called for accurate measurement of inflation, transparency, and sharing of real data with the public.

As the official statistics of the government have long been mistrusted, labor unions, economists, and the opposition argue that inflation data is manipulated to reduce salary increases.

Higher inflation for the poor

The DİSK Research Center, in a separate statement, shared the following findings regarding inflation:

"While food inflation averaged 53.9 percent, it reached 66.2 percent for retirees. The food inflation rate for the third income quintile was 61.5 percent, while it was 70.5 percent for the second income quintile consisting of low-income individuals and 84.7 percent for the poorest 20 percent income group. The fourth income quintile had a food inflation rate of 51.6 percent, while the highest-income group experienced a food inflation rate of 39.3 percent. Thus, the food inflation rate for the poorest income group was 85 percent, while it remained at 39 percent for the highest-income group. This reveals a significant discrepancy in the perception of inflation among income groups."

Products and Services with the Highest and Lowest Price Increases

According to TurkStat data, the main group with the least increase compared to the same month of the previous year was housing, with an increase of 14.76 percent. In contrast, the main group with the highest increase compared to the same month of the previous year was restaurants and hotels, with an increase of 67.22 percent.

Based on major expenditure groups, health had the lowest increase of 1.21 percent in June 2023 compared to the previous month. On the other hand,

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco had the highest increase of 11.13 percent compared to the previous month. (VC/VK)