One-third of Turks are poor or needy: Ministry’s report

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Women in need are receiving potatos distributed by a municipality in central Anatolian province of Kayseri. More than 19.5 billion Turkish Liras are allocated for social assistance, says a report. DHA Photo

Almost one-third of Turks are poor and needy, according to the 2012 social assistance statistics released by the Family and Social Policies Ministry.

More than 23.6 million people from 6.7 million households are listed as poor and needy in an online data inventory of the ministry, according to written data the ministry has released.

The country’s population reached 75.6 million in 2012, according to data released by the Turkey’s statistical authority, TÜİK.

Over 6.3 mln people receiving assistance

More than 6.3 million people from 2.1 million households are receiving social assistance, according to the statistics. More than 19.5 billion Turkish Liras are allocated for social assistance, according to projections.

The ministry’s data said the rate of poverty decreased for seven years after 2002. Hunger poverty decreased to 0.48 percent in 2009 from 1.35 percent in 2002. The report listed no one in hunger poverty in 2010 and 2011. Those living on under 1 dollar a day totaled 0.01 percent in 2005 and the report cited no one in this category since that year.

The rate of both hunger poverty and poverty not caused by food decreased to 18.08 percent in 2009 from 26.96 percent in 2002, according to the ministry’s 2012 social assistance statistics.

The ministry stated that a serious improvement had been seen in the lives of those living on less than 4.3 dollars a day. Those spending only 4.3 dollars a day were 30.30 percent in 2002, while this rate was 2.79 percent in 2011, the ministry’s data said.

The rate of those living on 2.15 dollars a day decreased 0.14 percent in 2011 from 3.04 percent in 2002.

More women benefit from social assistances, totaling 70 percent, according to the data.

The budget allocated to social assistance and services increased to 19.5 million liras in 2012 from 1.3 million liras in 2002, said the report. The Health Ministry allocated 5.1 million liras to social assistance.

Meanwhile, social assistance foundations directed 1,088,864 people between the ages of 15 and 64 to the Turkish Employment Organization (İŞKUR).