(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JUNE 7 - Almost one-third of Turks are
poor and needy, according to the 2012 social assistance
statistics released by the Family and Social Policies Ministry
reported today by daily Hurriyet. 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, TurkStat. 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% in 2009 from 1.35% 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% 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% in 2009 from
26.96% 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% in 2002, while this rate was 2.79% in 2011, the
ministry's data said. More women benefit from social
assistances, totaling 70%, according to the data. (ANSAmed).
