Turkey hunger limit reaches 38,318 lira for family of four

The Birleşik Kamu-İş Confederation’s research unit, KAMU-AR, has released its August 2026 hunger and poverty limit findings for a family of four. The hunger limit, representing the minimum monthly expenditure required for a family to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, rose by 102 lira from the previous month to reach 38,318 lira.

The poverty line, which includes essential non-food expenses such as housing, transportation, and clothing, increased by 3,700 lira in a single month to reach 121,036 lira. Over the past year, the poverty line has seen a total increase of 33,126 lira.

According to the report, the current minimum wage is insufficient to cover even basic nutritional needs, as it falls 10,243 lira short of the hunger limit. The research suggests that the minimum wage would need to increase by at least 36.5 percent to meet the calculated hunger limit. Currently, the minimum wage is estimated to cover only 22 days of food expenses for a family of four.