Poverty line in Northern Cyprus exceeds 214 thousand lira

The Kıbrıs Türk Amme Memurları Sendikası (KTAMS) trade union has published new calculations for the cost of living in Northern Cyprus.

According to the union's data, the poverty line for a family of four is 214,742 Turkish liras per month, while the hunger threshold is 39,813 liras.

The calculations are based on nutritional structure data provided by the Department of Inpatient Medical Institutions of the TRNC Ministry of Health, as well as average prices published by the TRNC Statistical Institute.

According to the study:

• an adult woman needs about 342 lira per day for food,
• an adult man — 358 lira,
• a teenager aged 15–19 — about 378 lira,
• a child aged 4–6 — approximately 248 lira.

The union notes that besides food, significant pressure on the family budget is created by housing rent, fuel, electricity, communication, clothing, as well as education and medical expenses.

The chairman of the union, Güven Bengihan, also recalled that according to statistics, inflation in March was 2.18%, and for the first three months of the year, the increase in the cost of living reached 7.07%. According to him, the current economic decisions of the authorities are increasing pressure on households, especially families living on the minimum wage.