In January, food prices rose by 3.6%. The minimum monthly cost for a four-person family to eat a healthy, balanced diet increased by 121 TL compared with the previous month, reaching 3,267 TL in January.
Price Increase
Using the latest statistics, it was reported that the poorest households—those least protected against inflation—now spend two-thirds of their budgets on food. This follows the sharp increase in food prices observed in January 2021. Food prices are currently 3.6% higher than at the end of 2020. Looking at annual data, food prices rose by 29.9% in 2021 compared with 2020.
Research Data
The research was conducted by the R&D unit KAMUAR of the Birleşik Kamu-İş Confederation, which monitors prices each month at markets and stores in Ankara and compiles a list of 77 food items that households consume at minimum levels. Based on this work, the January 2021 results of the “public inflation and food research” project were published.
The compiled data show that bread, flour, pasta and bulgur prices were 5.5% higher in January compared with the previous month. Meat and fish prices rose by 2.3% in January, while oils and fruits increased by 0.5% and 0.4% respectively.
Who Is Affected?
Examining the list shows that fixed-income households, the poor, and small producers—who must spend the bulk of their income on food and have no protection from inflation—suffered the most from these price increases. The study also calculated how much it costs to purchase the basic quantities of these listed items. A person earning the minimum wage would need to spend two-thirds of their salary on food, including meat and fish, just to maintain a healthy diet.
Price Changes by Product
In January, particularly due to increases in labor costs, bread, flour, bulgur, rice and pasta led the list with a 5.5% month-on-month rise. Meanwhile, exceptional increases in milk, dairy and egg prices drove a record 8.4% rise for those categories. As of this month, products such as olives, tomato paste, honey, salt and tea showed a 0.9% price increase. Overall, almost all of the 77 food items chosen based on common consumption patterns registered price increases.
Annual changes between January 2020 and January 2021 highlight a larger shift. Over one year, bread, flour, bulgur and rice recorded a 23.4% price increase. Meat and fish prices rose 20% year-on-year, while milk and dairy products increased by 21.4%. Oils rose 47.5%, fruits 35.1%, and vegetables 30.8%. Pulses became 10.4% more expensive over the year.
The study also estimated how much a person must spend monthly to follow a healthy diet based on these products. According to the list, a person needs to spend at least 900 TL per month on meat and eggs to meet healthy consumption standards. Monthly expenses for milk, yogurt and cheese amount to 650 TL. Rice and bulgur cost about 98 TL per month, sugar, honey and jam 190 TL, olives and fresh fruit 350 TL in total, and bread, flour and pasta purchases require about 400 TL per month.