Türkiye’s consumer price index (CPI) surged by 38.10% year-on-year in March 2025, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Thursday.

The monthly increase of 2.46% further underscores the relentless inflationary pressures gripping the nation. Since December 2024, the general price index has climbed by 10.06%, while the twelve-month moving average inflation rate has hit 51.26%.

The sharpest price hikes were seen in essential categories, with housing costs skyrocketing by 68.63% annually, food and non-alcoholic beverages rising by 37.12%, and transportation costs increasing by 21.59%. These three sectors were the biggest drivers of inflation, contributing 9.47%, 9.51%, and 3.65% respectively to the annual rate. On a monthly basis, food prices jumped by 4.94%, housing by 2.10%, and transportation by a modest 0.25%.

TurkStat’s data revealed that out of 143 tracked categories, 113 saw price increases in March, while only 25 recorded declines, and five remained stable. Core inflation, which strips out volatile items like energy and unprocessed food, reached 36.99% annually and 1.30% monthly, signaling that underlying price pressures remain deeply entrenched.

The rising cost of living continues to squeeze Turkish households, with essentials like food, housing, and transport becoming increasingly unaffordable. As inflation shows no signs of abating, economic policymakers are under mounting pressure to deliver effective solutions to stabilize prices and ease the burden on citizens. (ILKHA)