Inflation in TRNC accelerated: tomatoes more than tripled in price, education up by 54%

In April 2026, inflation in the TRNC continued to accelerate, reaching 38.15% in annual terms. According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, the sharpest price increases were recorded in the categories of food, education, housing rent, and services. Vegetables and fruits saw particularly notable price hikes: the cost of tomatoes rose by a record 216%, and lemons by 174% compared to April last year.

The overall consumer price index increased by 4.62% for the month and reached 2710.91 points. In the food and non-alcoholic beverages group, the annual price increase was 40.78%, while in the unprocessed products category it was 46.71%. Fresh vegetables and fruits rose in price by 47.15% in annual terms and by almost 7% over the month.

Among the most significant changes is the 46.5% annual increase in housing rents. Services also became significantly more expensive: football field rentals rose by almost 99%, swimming courses by 56.6%, driving school tuition by 55.4%, and wedding hall rentals by 50.6%.

The education sector became the second fastest-growing category after food. Annual price growth here was 54.1%. In one month, tuition in private primary schools rose by 17.5%, and in private secondary schools by 17.4%.

Price increases also affected the transport sector. Gasoline prices rose by 66.3% in annual terms, diesel fuel by 70%, and transport services increased by 17.1%. At the same time, the cost of air tickets on the Ercan–London route decreased by 8.9%.

Despite individual price drops for some seasonal vegetables and used cars, analysts note that inflation remains widespread across almost all sectors of the economy. Excluding regulated prices, the annual inflation rate was 38.68%.