Seventy percent of İstanbulites 'can't buy food they want'

Photo: AA/File

A significant portion of the metropolis of İstanbul are struggling to meet their basic needs, according to the monthly survey of the municipality-affiliated İstanbul Planning Agency (İPA).

Some 71.5 percent of the respondents of the survey said that economic problems, housing and rental prices and "holidays they can't go on" were discussed at home in July.

Also, 70.1 percent of respondents said they were not able to buy the food they wanted due to financial difficulties, and 61.7 percent said they were concerned about having access to sufficient nutrition. Among the lower-income respondents, this rate was over 80 percent.

Over 62 percent of respondents and 86.3 percent of the respondents with lower income said they had to reduce portions because they could not afford adequate food.

The most important issues on the city's agenda were economic problems and housing and rental prices, according to the survey.

Fifty-three percent of İstanbulites think the economy will even worsen in the coming months, whereas 28.3 percent said it won't change. Also, 48.4 percent said their own economic situation will worsen as well.

Over 43.6 percent said they were not able to make ends meet, and 25.1 percent said they had to borrow money because they could not cover their expenses.

The share of those who could not pay the minimum credit card debt was 38.3 percent. Eight percent said they could not make a payment at all whereas 45.3 percent said they paid the entire credit card debt. (VK)