One in 10 Turkish households struggles to meet children’s basic needs in 2024
A child in worn clothing sits alone against a concrete barrier, accessed on Mar. 19, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)
At least one in 10 Turkish households struggled to meet their children’s basic needs in 2024, including new clothing, at least one daily serving of fresh fruit and vegetables or meat, and access to books, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
TurkStat released its “Child Health and Deprivation” report for 2024, which assesses the health and deprivation levels of children aged 0 to 15 in Türkiye. The report highlighted the impact of the rising cost of living on childcare, which leveraged in last years with high inflationary pressure on consumer prices.
According to the data, rounded figures for 2024 show that because of financial constraints:
- One in 10 households could not provide their children with at least one serving of fresh fruit and vegetables per day.
- Two in 10 households were unable to cook a meal containing meat, chicken, or fish at least once a day, making it the most common deprivation.
- One in 10 households could not afford to buy new clothes or proper shoes for their children.
- One in 10 households could not afford to purchase books for their children.
- Two in 10 households lacked the financial means to take their children on a one-week holiday.
- Two in 10 households could not afford to buy bicycles or similar outdoor toys for their children, while 1 in 10 households did not have any home toys.
- Two in 10 households were unable to participate in leisure activities with their children.
94.5% of children reported to be in good health
Meanwhile, the report found that 94.5% of children were reported to be in “good or very good” health, while 4.6% were classified as “fair,” and 0.9% were described as having “bad or very bad” health.
Among children with poor health, 53.7% faced severe limitations in their daily activities due to a persistent health issue lasting at least six months. Another 40.9% experienced some level of restriction, while 5.4% were unaffected and had no limitations in their daily routines.
