BISÂM Announces: Hunger Threshold Nears 27 Thousand TL, Poverty Line Exceeds 93 Thousand TL in October 2025

The Class Research Center (BİSAM) of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK)/United Metal Workers Union (Birleşik Metal-İş) announced its "Hunger and Poverty Threshold Report for October 2025." According to the report, the minimum monthly expenditure required for a four-person family to have a healthy and balanced diet (Hunger Threshold) reached 26,925 TL. The Poverty Line, which covers mandatory expenses including food, education, housing, and health, was determined to be 93,135 TL. The report was released to the public on November 13, 2025.

Key Findings: Hunger and Poverty Thresholds

According to BİSAM’s findings, the living conditions for wage earners and low-income groups in Turkey continue to worsen:

• Hunger Threshold (Four-Person Family): 26,925 TL. This amount represents the absolute minimum compulsory monthly expenditure the family must incur solely for food.

• Poverty Line (Four-Person Family): 93,135 TL. This figure includes food expenses alongside mandatory expenditures such as education, healthcare, housing, heating, transportation, and entertainment.

• Poverty Threshold for a Single Person: The poverty line for a person living alone was calculated to be at least 43,292 TL.

Daily Expenditure Requirement and Cost by Food Groups

The report indicates that the total daily expenditure required for a four-person family to eat healthily and nutritiously in October 2025 was 898 TL.

The most expensive expenditure groups within the daily total were:

• Fruits and Vegetables: Took the first place with a daily expenditure requirement of 257 TL (28.69% of the total).

• Milk and Dairy Products: Formed the second most costly group at 231 TL daily.

• Meat, Poultry, and Fish: The minimum required expenditure for this group was 176 TL daily.

• Bread: Daily expenditure requirement was 80 TL.

Monthly Food Cost per Family Member

BİSAM calculated the healthy nutrition costs for individual family members, taking into account their differing caloric needs:

• Monthly equivalent for an adult male: 7,528 TL

• Monthly equivalent for a teenager aged 15-18: 7,518 TL

• Monthly equivalent for an adult female: 7,147 TL

• Monthly equivalent for a child aged 4-6: 4,733 TL

• Total Family Cost: 26,925 TL

The report noted that nutritional needs vary significantly by age, giving the example that a child aged 4-6 needs a higher quantity of eggs than an adult.

Research Methodology

The research is based on the BİSAM nutrition pattern, which was updated using data from the Ministry of Health and Hacettepe University's Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. While index figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) consumption expenditure groups and 2003 unit prices were utilized, BİSAM referenced Istanbul Halk Ekmek prices for bread and online prices of chain markets for fruits and vegetables due to significant discrepancies observed between TÜİK indices and market reality.