Turkey's food inflation surges above 35% as overall prices ease

Turkey's food price inflation remains among the highest worldwide, with the Turkish Statistical Institute reporting an annual increase of 35.45% and the public‑sector union KAMU‑AR estimating consumer‑perceived food inflation at 60.9%. The rise has continued for 74 consecutive months, eroding real wages for public employees by 41.2% and pushing fruit price growth to 58.1%.

In June, OECD data showed Turkey's headline consumer‑price inflation falling slightly to 32.1% from 32.6%, still the highest among the 38 member economies and leaving a gap of roughly 28 percentage points with the OECD average. While energy inflation eased, food inflation accelerated, climbing from 34.9% in May to 35.4% in June. Core inflation and other components also stayed well above the OECD mean, underscoring persistent price pressure across a broad range of goods.