DİSK/Genel-İş Announces Report: Turkey Tops Europe in Income Inequality! Minimum Wage Below the Hunger Line!

ANKARA - The Research Department of the General-Labor Union (emar) of the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DİSK) has published a comprehensive "Income Inequality and Poverty in Turkey Report", which reveals the devastating effects of the economic crisis on the working classes in Turkey. According to the report, Turkey has reached the highest level of income inequality among European countries, 2 out of every 10 people are poor and the minimum wage cannot even cover basic food expenditures.

Europe Leader: The Richest 20 Percent Earn 9 Times as Much as the Poorest!

DİSK/Genel-İş report reveals that income inequality in Turkey has reached a record high.

• Gini Coefficient Record: Turkey's Gini coefficient is 0.461. This ratio is much higher than the European Union average of 0.344, making Turkey the first in Europe in terms of income inequality.

• Wealth Gap (S80/S20): According to the report, the richest 20 percent in Turkey earns almost 9 times the income of the poorest 20 percent (S80/S20 ratio: 9.06). This gap is almost double the European Union average (4.66) and shows a dramatic widening of the gap between rich and poor.

2 out of 10 people are poor: Even those who work cannot make ends meet

The report emphasized that laborers bear the brunt of high inflation and the depreciation of the Turkish lira.

• Massive Poverty: According to the report based on TurkStat data, at least 17 million 821 citizens in Turkey are unable to meet even their most basic needs. While the poverty rate rose to 21.2 percent, the poverty line skyrocketed to 81,742 TL in 2024.

• Working Poor: One of the most important problems in the country, working poverty rate is 10.7 percent. This means that millions of citizens have a job but are unable to earn a decent wage to support their families.

Minimum Wage Below the Hunger Line: Children at Risk

The report uses August 2025 data to illustrate the dramatic erosion in the purchasing power of wages.

• The Hunger Line Crisis: According to August 2025 data, the hunger line is 26,149 TL, while the minimum wage, the income of millions, is only 22,104 TL. The minimum wage is not enough for a worker to feed himself, let alone his family, in a healthy way.

• Child Poverty Alert: Children, the guarantors of the future, are at greatest risk. In 2024, 38.9% of children under 18 are at risk of poverty and social exclusion.

6 in 10 People in Debt, Spending Doubled

Another important consequence of the economic crisis was the forced increase in household indebtedness and consumption expenditures.

• Widespread Indebtedness: Due to non-housing expenses, 60.9% of the non-institutionalized population is in debt. This means that 6 out of 10 people are in debt.

• Consumption Expenditures Skyrocketed: The average monthly consumption expenditure per household almost doubled in a year due to high inflation, from 24,383 TL to 45,344 TL. The share of housing and rent expenditures in this increase rose to 26%, making up the largest item in the budget.

DİSK/Genel-İş Demand: Wages Should Be Based on a Family of Four!

DİSK/Genel-İş Research Department listed urgent demands to end poverty and inequality:

1. Change in Economic Policies: Economic policies that burden the people with the bill of the crisis should be abandoned immediately.

2. Wage and Tax Justice: The inequality in income distribution must end and the principle of taxing those who earn less and those who earn more must be adopted.

3. Humane Living Wage: The minimum wage and all wage levels must be raised to a level that is worthy of human dignity. The minimum wage calculation should be based on the expenses of a family of at least 4 people, not one person.

4. Basic Income Security: There must be basic income security for all and public rights such as housing, education and health must be of good quality and free of charge.

The report also noted that the share of capital (43.1%) in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is still higher than the share of labor (37%), which remains the main source of income inequality.