ISTANBUL, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- The total income needed to cover the basic expenses for a family of four in Türkiye, defined as the poverty threshold, reached 52,955 Turkish liras (1,696 U.S. dollars) in February, a report revealed on Thursday.
The figure represents a substantial increase compared to 30,701 liras in the same month of last year, according to the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Turk-Is), which has been monitoring the poverty threshold in Türkiye for the past 37 years.
The poverty line covers the income necessary to meet basic needs, including expenses on food, clothing, housing (rent, electricity, water, fuel), transportation, education, health, and other essential costs.
Meanwhile, the hunger threshold for a family of four, representing the monthly spending needed for basic nutrition, reached 16,257 liras in February, according to the report.
The report highlighted an annual average increase in food costs of 77.20 percent.
Turk-Is attributed the primary factor driving the increase in kitchen expenditures to the rising prices of legumes and meat products.
Turkish citizens have long grappled with the impact of persistently high inflation rates, which hit 64.86 percent in January.
