Using Night-Time Lights and Statistical Data to Measure Regional Inequality in Turkey

Abstract

Poverty and inequality are the outstanding challenges in both developing and developed countries in the globe. Using Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP)-Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) nighttime light (NTL) images and socio-economic data from administrative sources, this chapter focuses on the association between nighttime lights and economic activities with an aim of computing regional income inequality indices for the year 2015 in Turkey. Gini, the Atkinson and Theil statistics were used to establish regional inequality indices using both NTL and statistics data. The findings indicated that urban NTLs are strongly correlated with economic activity while the correlation is much weaker regarding rural nightlights and agricultural output. It can be noted that there was increasing regional inequality in north-west, south, and south-east regions whereas regional equality was more homogeneously distributed. The results indicated that NPP-VIIRS nightlight data can help to perform regional inequality assessments for the urban areas in Turkey. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.