According to the “Income Inequality and Poverty Report in Turkey” prepared by the the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey and General Services Workers’ Union (DİSK/Genel-İş) Research Department (EMAR), Turkey ranks as the country with the highest income inequality among European countries.
The report examines topics such as inflation, poverty, income inequality, and indebtedness using statistical data. According to the study, two out of every 10 people in Turkey are poor, while six out of every 10 are in debt.
Based on the Turkish Statistical Institute’s (TÜİK) Income and Living Conditions Survey cited in the report, at least 17,821,000 citizens in Turkey are so poor that they cannot even meet their most basic needs.
The poverty rate has risen to 21.2%, meaning two out of every 10 citizens are now poor. The poverty threshold has increased twelvefold since 2014. In 2014, the poverty line was 6,665 Turkish lira; by 2024, it had risen to 81,742 Turkish lira.
This increase accelerated particularly after 2022, due to high inflation. The poverty line was 21,296 Turkish lira in 2022, 38,531 Turkish lira in 2023, and 81,742 Turkish lira in 2024.
Poverty among workers
The share of employed individuals who are still poor is 11%. Millions of citizens in Turkey are considered poor despite working because their wages and living conditions are insufficient to support themselves and their families.
Low minimum wages, heavy taxes, and unfair income distribution continue to increase working poverty. In 2024, the poverty rate among workers was 10.7%.
By August 2025, the hunger threshold was set at 26,149 Turkish lira, and the poverty line at 90,450 Turkish lira, while the minimum wage remained at 22,104 Turkish lira. In the same period, the lowest civil servant salary was 50,503 Turkish lira, and the lowest retired civil servant pension was 22,671 Turkish lira.
Indebtedness
Due to expenses excluding housing, 60.9% of the non-institutional population were in debt in 2024—meaning six out of 10 people were indebted. According to TÜİK statistics cited in the report, only 39.1% of the population is debt-free. Of the population, 12.5% have difficulty paying off their debts, 43.3% find debt somewhat burdensome, and 5.2% report no burden at all.
Child poverty and social exclusion
In 2024, 38.9% of children under 18 were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. For comparison, the rate was 26.3% for ages 18 to 64 and 23.3% for those over 65. The total proportion of the population at risk of poverty and social exclusion was measured at 29.3%.
The General Services Workers’ Union (Genel-İş) commented:
“When children are deprived of basic rights such as health, nutrition, and education at the stages of life when they need them most, their physical and mental development is negatively affected. High child poverty indicates that not only today but also the future faces a severe cycle of poverty. Children growing up in poverty are forced to enter the workforce at an early age, and child labor is rapidly increasing.”
Europe’s highest Gini coefficient
The report also includes Eurostat data. While the average Gini coefficient in EU countries is 0.344, Turkey’s Gini coefficient stands at 0.461.
Additionally, the report notes that the richest 20% of the population in Turkey earn approximately 9 times the income of the poorest 20%.
The General Services Workers’ Union (Genel-İş) commented:
“The severe socioeconomic crisis in Turkey has further widened income inequality, making it the country with the highest income inequality in Europe. This situation prevents the national income from reaching broad segments of society, widens the gap between the rich and poor, and gradually erodes the middle class. No other European country experiences such a disparity. The record-high Gini coefficient not only reflects economic difficulties but also deepens social and political crises.”
The Gini coefficient is a statistical measure intended to represent income or wealth inequality within a nation or social group. The greater the inequality in income distribution in a country, the higher the Gini coefficient. Conversely, the closer this coefficient is to zero, the lower the level of inequality in income distribution.
(HA/MH)
