Dergiler / İktisat Politikası Araştırmaları Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1

Examining Education, Culture, Health, and Workforce Characteristics of Turkish Provinces: A Cluster-Based Analysis

Elif Mutlu(IZMIR BAKIRCAY UNIVERSITY)0009-0004-1034-0567
Serhat Peker(IZMIR BAKIRCAY UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-6876-3982
Ümit Kuvvetli(IZMIR BAKIRCAY UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-9567-3675
Sayfa
277–291
Yayın Tarihi
2026-02-19
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⚡ TL;DR(1 Cümlede Hızlı Çıkarım)

Overall, the findings provide a nuanced spatial classification of provinces and offer policy-relevant insights for designing cluster-specific regional development strategies and more equitable resource allocation.

📌 3 Maddede Bu Makale

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Amaç & Hipotez:This study examines the education, culture, health, and workforce characteristics of Turkish provinces through a cluster-based analytical approach.
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Temel Bulgular & Veri:Using data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUİK) and the Ministry of Health, we assess provincial-level performance across a diverse set of social development indicators.
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Sonuç & Katkı:Overall, the findings provide a nuanced spatial classification of provinces and offer policy-relevant insights for designing cluster-specific regional development strategies and more equitable resource allocation.
🔬Tür:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Kapsam:Genişletilmiş Akademik Örneklem
⚙️Değişkenler:Cluster Analysis · Data-Driven Policy · Regional Development

Abstract

This study examines the education, culture, health, and workforce characteristics of Turkish provinces through a cluster-based analytical approach. Using data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUİK) and the Ministry of Health, we assess provincial-level performance across a diverse set of social development indicators. The clustering analysis identifies groups of provinces with similar profiles, highlighting regional disparities and patterns in the distribution of public services and labour market conditions. The results show that metropolitan provinces form a highly developed cluster characterised by strong economic capacity and population growth, while several clusters reflect structurally disadvantaged regions with low economic performance, negative net migration, and limited social infrastructure. In addition, some provinces exhibit relatively high education and cultural indicators despite weaker economic outcomes, underscoring the heterogeneous nature of regional development in Türkiye. Overall, the findings provide a nuanced spatial classification of provinces and offer policy-relevant insights for designing cluster-specific regional development strategies and more equitable resource allocation.

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Bu Makaleye Atıf Yap

Mutlu, E., Peker, S., Kuvvetli, Ü. (2026). Examining Education, Culture, Health, and Workforce Characteristics of Turkish Provinces: A Cluster-Based Analysis. İktisat Politikası Araştırmaları Dergisi, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1, 277–291. https://doi.org/10.26650/JEPR1785376

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