TR
EN
Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model
Abstract
Internal migration constitutes one of the most important mechanisms shaping regional demographic structures and economic dynamics. Understanding the factors that drive population mobility across regions is therefore crucial for both economic analysis and regional policy design. This study examines the determinants of interprovincial migration in Türkiye using annual provincial data covering the period 2008–2020. The analysis employs a spatial panel data framework and estimates a Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) model to capture both direct regional effects and spatial spillovers among provinces. The empirical results indicate that regional economic growth and human capital significantly influence migration patterns. Provinces with higher levels of economic activity and a greater concentration of university graduates tend to attract more migrants, highlighting the importance of economic opportunities and skilled labor environments in shaping mobility decisions. Public investment also exhibits a positive but relatively modest impact on migration flows. In contrast, technological development does not appear to exert a statistically significant influence on migration dynamics. Furthermore, the positive and significant spatial autoregressive parameter reveals the presence of spatial interdependence in migration flows across provinces. Overall, the findings emphasize that internal migration in Türkiye is closely linked to regional economic disparities and spatial interactions among provinces.
Keywords
References
- Ak, B. U. (2021). Göç Kavramı ve Kuramları, Uludağ Sosyal ve Beşerî Bilimler Araştırma Dergisi, 8(72), 1749-1758. https://doi.org/10.26450/jshsr.2579.
- Akyıldız, İ. E. (2016). Göç Teorilerinin Karşılaştırmalı Analizi, Uludağ Journal of Economy and Society/ B. U. Ü. İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 35(2), 127-176.
- Allison, P. D. (1994). Using panel data to estimate the effects of events. Sociological Methods & Research, 23(2), 174–199.
- Aydemir, A. B., Kırdar, M. G., & Torun, H. (2022). The Effect of Education on Internal Migration of Young Men and Women: Incidence, Timing, and Type of Migration, Labour Economics, 74.
- Baltagi, B. H. (2021). Econometric Analysis of Panel Data. Springer.
- Barro, R. J. ve Sala-i-Martin, X. (1995). Economic Growth. McGraw-Hill.
- Bekhtiar, K. (2025). Robotization, Internal migration and Rural Decline. J Popul Econ 38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-025-01109-z
- Bell, A., & Jones, K. (2015). Explaining fixed effects: Random effects modeling of time-series cross-sectional and panel data. Political Science Research and Methods, 3(1), 133–153.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Regional Economy
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
June 25, 2026
Submission Date
September 22, 2025
Acceptance Date
April 30, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 10 Number: 2
APA
Çinar, S., & Has, B. (2026). Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model. Politik Ekonomik Kuram, 10(2), 498-517. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1789084
AMA
1.Çinar S, Has B. Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model. Politik Ekonomik Kuram. 2026;10(2):498-517. doi:10.30586/pek.1789084
Chicago
Çinar, Sinan, and Banu Has. 2026. “Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model”. Politik Ekonomik Kuram 10 (2): 498-517. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1789084.
EndNote
Çinar S, Has B (June 1, 2026) Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model. Politik Ekonomik Kuram 10 2 498–517.
IEEE
[1]S. Çinar and B. Has, “Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model”, Politik Ekonomik Kuram, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 498–517, June 2026, doi: 10.30586/pek.1789084.
ISNAD
Çinar, Sinan - Has, Banu. “Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model”. Politik Ekonomik Kuram 10/2 (June 1, 2026): 498-517. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1789084.
JAMA
1.Çinar S, Has B. Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model. Politik Ekonomik Kuram. 2026;10:498–517.
MLA
Çinar, Sinan, and Banu Has. “Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model”. Politik Ekonomik Kuram, vol. 10, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 498-17, doi:10.30586/pek.1789084.
Vancouver
1.Sinan Çinar, Banu Has. Determinants of Internal Migration in Türkiye: Evidence from a Spatial Panel SAR Model. Politik Ekonomik Kuram. 2026 Jun. 1;10(2):498-517. doi:10.30586/pek.1789084