SPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS AND GEOGRAPHICAL DETERMINANTS OF INCOME POVERTY IN TURKEY

Abstract

As a developing country poverty rates have fallen statistically in all provinces of Turkey. Nevertheless poverty is still one of the most important socio-economic problems. Even if the proportion of people living under hunger limit decreases, the proportion of population with risk of poverty is still high that is a negative table. When the low per capita income combined with unequal spatial distribution, there is a distinct spatial segregation in the country. In this context the purpose of the study is to explain the distribution of income poverty in Turkey and determine geographical factors that are effective in this distribution. Poverty and inequality statistics were used in this study according to the NUTS2 regions prepared by Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) for 2015. Considering the geographical characteristics of the regions, poverty inferences were made and related maps were developed. TR61 and TRA2 regions are the areas where poverty is mostly experienced. The area with the lowest rate of poverty is seen as TRB2. According to the results, it is seen that high inequality rates, physical capital, terrorism and migration are the most important factors affecting the distribution of poverty rates. As a result the reason of spatial distribution of poverty can be differentiated in different regions even in a single country. Turkey is the best model of this thesis.