Turkey sees higher food poverty line, stable unemployment, May trade down

Turkey’s largest labor union Türk‑İş reported that the June 2026 subsistence (food) threshold for a four‑person household rose to 35,758.88 TL, while the overall poverty line reached 116,478.40 TL and the monthly cost of living for a single worker jumped to 46,248.50 TL. Kitchen‑inflation increased 1.66 % month‑on‑month, 36.93 % year‑on‑year, with a six‑month rise of 18.63 % and an annual average increase of 40.44 %.

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) released May 2026 labour‑market data showing the unemployment rate held steady at 8.2 %. The number of unemployed persons rose to 2.883 million, while employment grew by 285 000 to 32.463 million, giving an employment rate of 48.5 %. The labour force reached 35.345 million and participation rose to 52.8 %. Youth unemployment (15‑24) was 14.8 %, and the inactive‑labour‑force rate climbed to 31 %.

May 2026 foreign‑trade figures revealed exports fell 9.5 % to $22.461 billion and imports dropped 10.8 % to $28.071 billion. The trade deficit narrowed by 15.6 % to $5.610 billion, with the export‑to‑import coverage ratio improving to 80 %. Germany remained the top export destination, while Russia was the leading source of imports.