Research Information System
3. BİLSEL INTERNATIONAL KORYKOS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES AND INNOVATION CONGRESS, Mersin, Turkey, 7 - 08 September 2024, pp.391
Historically, income and wealth inequality have attracted considerable attention within academic
discussions, particularly as they reflect broader socio-economic disparities and are facilitated by the availability
of comprehensive data. In contrast, the evidence pertaining to consumption inequality remains relatively scarce,
primarily due to the challenges posed by the availability of high-quality data for researchers. This study offers
empirical evidence concerning the trends of consumption inequality in Türkiye from 2003 to 2022. The analysis
employs multiple inequality indicators and various definitions of consumption to assess inequality. The findings
reveal a notable reduction in consumption inequality in Türkiye during the early 2000s. However, a resurgence
of inequality is observed following the economic downturns after the 2008 crisis and the 2019 COVID-19
pandemic. The rise in consumption inequality post-2019 is not paralleled by similar trends in
income. Furthermore, an examination of the contributing factors to inequality indicates that the substantial
increase in automobile prices has a significant impact on inequality levels in 2022. Analyzing subgroups, the
recent rise in consumption inequality can be attributed to an increase in inequality within education groups.
Moreover, the contribution to inequality among individuals with college degrees has experienced a significant
rise throughout the period.