Independent Inflation Group ENAG Shows Türkiye Inflation at 54.14% as Official Rate (TÜİK) Stands at 30.87%
By Bosphorus News Economy Desk
Inflation estimates in Türkiye remain sharply divided, with the independent inflation group ENAG placing annual consumer inflation at 54.14 percent while the official rate published by the Turkish Statistical Institute, or TÜİK, stands at 30.87 percent.
ENAG said consumer prices rose 4.01 percent month on month in February 2026, bringing its annual inflation reading to 54.14 percent. TÜİK, in its March 2026 consumer price index release, reported monthly inflation of 1.94 percent and annual inflation of 30.87 percent.
The gap has become a recurring feature of Türkiye’s inflation debate, with independent and official measurements continuing to produce markedly different pictures of consumer prices.
ENAG says the difference is rooted in methodology. The group uses its own price collection system rather than TÜİK’s data network and covers most, but not all, of the official basket. According to ENAG, its index includes 339 of TÜİK’s 418 items and accounts for roughly 80 percent of the official basket by weight. It excludes health, education and alcoholic beverages.
Prof. Dr. Veysel Ulusoy, founder and president of ENAG, said in an exclusive comment to Bosphorus News that the issue goes beyond a technical dispute over data.
“Rising global prices are set to surge like a rocket, and under normal conditions, it will take time for the pace of price increases to slow down,” Ulusoy said. “However, one fundamental reality remains: the misrepresentation of the official inflation rate will lead to even more severe problems in Turkey.”
The pattern is not unique to Türkiye. Cases cited in background material prepared for this report include Argentina, Venezuela, the Soviet Union and Greece, where large gaps between official inflation figures and real price conditions damaged policy credibility, clouded investment decisions and weakened public trust in institutions.
The gap is smaller than the peaks seen in 2025, but it remains substantial. ENAG and TÜİK have repeatedly published sharply different inflation figures over the past year, keeping questions over methodology and statistical credibility at the centre of public debate.
Relations between ENAG and state institutions have remained tense, even as the group says it continues to seek dialogue with public bodies. TÜİK filed a criminal complaint against ENAG in 2022, while ENAG says it has continued to seek cooperation rather than confrontation.
Ulusoy said ENAG still wants institutional dialogue. “We have always been open to cooperation with public institutions, and we have consistently reiterated our willingness in this regard,” he said. He added that earlier contacts with public institutions did not develop into sustained cooperation. “As ENAG, we would like to reiterate that we remain open to cooperation regarding our country’s economy.”
TÜİK did not respond to a request for comment.