Some 28 pct of Turkish population tenants: Official data

ANKARA

Some 27.8 percent of the Turkish population resided in rented apartments in 2023, reflecting a slight increase from the previous year, the data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) have shown.

The rate of the population living in their own dwelling decreased by 0.5 percent compared to 2022, reaching 56.2 percent in 2023, according to the TÜİK’s poverty and living condition survey released on Jan. 30.

Simultaneously, the share of those who did not reside in their personally owned houses and did not pay rent stood at 15.1 percent.

TÜİK asserted that the inability to heat homes due to insulation deficiencies was the most frequently encountered housing problem. Leaky roofs, damp walls and air pollution caused by traffic or industrial activities also emerged as additional housing concerns.

Conducting research on "relative poverty," a concept defining individuals with incomes below a certain threshold relative to the overall societal standard, TÜİK indicated that 13.9 percent of the population fell within this category.

The institute further reported that the poverty rate among illiterate individuals was 27.8 percent, while 3.2 percent of those with higher education degrees were classified as impoverished.

The institute also delved into an examination of material and social deprivation, defining variables such as car ownership, ability to cover unexpected economic expenses, affording a week-long vacation, regular consumption of meals including meat, poultry and fish, heating the home adequately and the capacity to replace worn-out furniture as household-level factors.

At the individual level, the variables encompassed the ability to replace worn-out clothing with new ones, possessing at least two pairs of decent shoes, socializing with acquaintances at least once a month and owning the internet for personal use.

The rate of severe material and social deprivation, defined as the inability to meet at least seven out of the criteria, was estimated at 14.4 percent, the data said.