The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has released the final inflation figures for 2025, showing a 0.89% increase in the consumer price index (CPI) for December compared to the previous month, and a 30.89% rise year-on-year.
The 12-month average CPI, used in calculating rent hikes, stood at 34.88%.
Among the three main expenditure groups with the highest weight in the CPI basket, food and non-alcoholic beverages saw a 28.31% annual increase. Transportation costs rose by 28.44%, while housing expenses jumped by 49.45%.
These categories also had the largest impact on the annual inflation rate. Food and non-alcoholic beverages contributed 7.07 percentage points, transportation 4.36 points, and housing 7.52 points.
Rise in food prices outpaces overall inflation
On a monthly basis, food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 1.99%, exceeding the general CPI rise. Housing costs rose 1.39%, while transportation declined by 1.03%.
These movements contributed 0.48 percentage points from food, 0.24 from housing, and minus 0.16 from transportation to the overall monthly inflation rate.
Price hikes seen in 108 of 143 items
TurkStat did not publish the item-level price list, continuing a practice it has followed since Apr 2022 despite court orders. Instead, it released group-level expenditure data.
According to this data, 108 out of 143 primary categories in the index saw price increases. Prices fell in 27 categories, while 8 remained unchanged.
The İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) released its own figures on Jan 2, reporting a 1.23% increase in retail prices in December compared to the previous month. On an annual basis, retail inflation in the city was recorded at 37.68%. (HA/VK)
