Turkish inflation nears two-decade high

Turkish inflation accelerated for a seventh month in December, driven to a 19-year high by a slumping lira and lower borrowing costs.

Annual consumer inflation rose 36.08% in December, the most since September 2002 and up sharply from 21.31% in November. The figure was much higher than the 27.36% median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 19 analysts. 

Monthly inflation was 13.58%, compared with the median estimate of 8.5% in a separate survey. Producer prices rose 19.08% through the month, bringing annual inflation to 79.89%. The lira weakened after the report and was trading 3.7% lower at 13.8115/$ at 10.04am in Istanbul

The acceleration takes Turkey’s benchmark interest rate adjusted for inflation to negative 22.08%, the lowest real yield among emerging markets. Retail price inflation in Istanbul, Turkey’s business capital, climbed to 34.18% in December from 24.05% in November.

The central bank will hold its next rate-setting meeting on January 20

Turkey’s decision to slash five percentage points off the central bank’s benchmark rate since September has led to a slump in the lira, which depreciated about 44% against the dollar in 2021, the worst among all major currencies tracked by Bloomberg

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