Türkiye’de Yaşlı Yoksulluğu: Kimler Daha Kırılgan?

Öz

Sosyal politikanın en önemli sorun alanlarından birisi olan yoksulluk, kimi kesimler için daha ağır sonuçlar doğurabilir. Örneğin yoksulluğa maruz kalan yaşlı bir fert, gençlere veya kendi gençlik dönemine nazaran bireysel çabayla yoksulluktan daha güç şekilde kurtulabilir. Çünkü bilişsel ve fiziksel kapasitesi duraklamış veya gerilemiş olan fert, genellikle ya daha düşük kazanç elde edebilecek ya da hiç çalışamayacak durumdadır. Öte yandan yaşlılık dönemindeki çeşitli farklılıklar yoksulluk riskini bazı yaşlılarda artırabilir. Bu kesimlerin tespiti, önleyici ve telafi edici politikalar geliştirilmesi açısından önem arz etmektedir. Bu çalışmada Türkiye’de göreli gelir yoksulluğunun hangi yaşlılarda daha belirgin olarak gözlemlendiği, Türkiye İstatistik Kurumunun 2006-2023 Gelir ve Yaşam Koşulları Araştırması mikro veri setleriyle tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. OECD eşdeğerlik ölçeğine göre hesaplanan kişi başı ortanca gelirin %60’ı yoksulluk eşiği olarak kabul edilmiş ve 65 yaş üstü fertlere ait sonuçlar birleştirilerek trend analizleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın bulguları kadınların, daha ileri yaşlıların, eğitim düzeyi daha düşük olanların, sigortasız bir şekilde çalışanların, erken yaşta işe başlayanların belirgin şekilde yüksek yoksulluk oranlarına sahip olduğu yönündedir. Yine ikamet edilen bölgeye ve kır-kent yerleşimine göre yaşlı yoksulluğu önemli ölçüde farklılaşmaktadır. Kirada oturanlar ile kendi evinde oturanlar arasında yıllara göre dalgalanmalar söz konusu olup başka birisinin evinde kira ödemeden kalan yaşlılar, barınma bakımından en yoksul kesimi oluşturmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yoksulluk
• Yaşlı
• Yaşlı yoksulluğu
• Türkiye
• Göreli yoksulluk

Elderly Poverty in Türkiye: Identifying Vulnerable Groups

Öz

Poverty is a critical social policy issue that can have particularly severe consequences for certain groups, especially the elderly. Older individuals facing poverty are less able to overcome it through personal effort compared to younger people, due to cognitive and physical decline that limits their earning potential or ability to work. Various characteristics associated with old age further increase the risk of poverty for some individuals. Identifying these vulnerable groups is crucial for designing preventive and compensatory policies. This study examines which elderly populations in Türkiye are most affected by relative income poverty, using microdata from the Turkish Statistical Institute’s Income and Living Conditions Surveys (2006–2023). The poverty threshold was set at 60% of the median per capita income, calculated using the OECD equivalence scale, and the results for individuals aged 65 and above were analyzed to identify trends. Findings indicate that women, the oldest-old, the less educated, informal workers, and those entering the labor market early face significantly higher poverty rates. Elderly poverty also varies by region and rural–urban residence. Housing status further affects deprivation: while tenants and homeowners experience fluctuations, elderly individuals living rent-free in another person’s home consistently represent the most disadvantaged group.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Poverty
• Elderly
• Elderly poverty
• Old-age poverty
• Türkiye
• Relative poverty

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