47.3 Percent of İstanbul’s Households Don’t Have Regular Income

* Photo: Esra Bilgin - Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The İstanbul Statistical Office of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality has conducted a study on urban poverty in the city.

The study has shown that while 28.1 percent of İstanbul's households have more than four people, 47.3 percent do not have regular income.

Surveys conducted in 195 neighborhoods, 33 districts

Of the households that applied for social aid in April 2020 and whose monthly income was less than 2,500 Turkish Lira (TRY), 1,228 households participated in a survey on their phones with computed assisted testing (CATI). The surveys were conducted with the participation of people from 195 neighborhoods in 33 districts from April 15 to 30, 2020.

According to the survey results, the rate of households with three and more children is 31.5 percent. While 44.4 percent of İstanbul's households have two children, 62.5 percent of all children in households go to school. There are people aged over 65 in 26.4 percent of households in İstanbul.

11.6 percent don't have a washing machine

Other highlights from the study are as follows:

The rate of child labor in households is 7 percent. 92.6 percent of households do not have the means to afford an extra spending over 1,000 TRY without being indebted. 83 percent have a single person who brings income. The rate of households where two people work is 9.7 percent.

While 11.6 percent of İstanbul's households do not have a washing machine, 49.3 percent do not have fixed or mobile Internet connection. 40.1 percent of the households do not have a dishwasher.

Over 70 percent owe money to banks

According to the survey results, the households that participated in the survey are indebted to banks the most, which is followed by storekeepers. 33.7 percent of households owe money to more than one place.

While 70.6 percent owe money to banks as credit card or credit debts, 20 percent owe money to storekeepers and 14.3 percent to their relatives.

89.6 percent cannot heat their homes as they wish

91.8 percent do not have the means to afford meat, chicken or fish for more than two times a week. 94.3 percent cannot change their old furniture. 92.6 percent cannot buy new clothes whenever they need. 89.6 percent cannot heat or cool their houses as much as they wish.

53.5 percent without insurance register

53.5 percent of households do not have insurance registers and 47.3 percent are without regular income. While 37.2 percent of the participants say that they do not have a profession, 23.5 percent say that they are "workers" and 11.5 percent say that they work in "textile sector." (AÖ/SD)