Türk-İş: Starvation line increased by 2.5 percent from last month

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The Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş) has released the February report of the "Starvation and Poverty Line Survey," which it conducts every month to reveal the living conditions of employees and the effects of price changes to families' budgets.

For a family of four living in Ankara, the capital, the "starvation line," which is defined as the minimum food expenditure for a healthy, sufficient and balanced diet, was 2,719 lira (365 USD) in February, the report said.

It increased by 2.53 percent compared to the previous month.

The poverty line, which is the total amount of necessary expenditures such as housing, transportation, education and health, was 8,568 lira (1,197 USD).

The monthly "living cost" of a single working person was 3,297 lira (445 USD).

While the increase in milk prices continued, prices of yogurt and cheese did not change from last month.

Prices of fruits and vegetables in kilos increased from 6.62 lira to 7.25 lira on average due to winter conditions.

There was no significant change in the prices of products such as bread, rice, flour, pasta, and bulgur.

Also, the prices of butter, margarine, olive oil and sunflower, tea, linden, honey, molasses, jam, salt and tomato paste remained the same. Prices of sugar increased. (HA/VK)