Measuring the Dimensions of Spatial Inequality in Iran Counties; Looking at Policy Requirements

Introduction: Spatial inequality in developing countries is an issue of concern to many policy makers and researchers. It may have causes such as regional dualities, the outflow of capital and labor, the geographic concentration of poverty and deprivation, the lack of optimal and voluntary distribution of human resources, etc. Therefore, this study has investigated spatial inequality among the districts of Iran.
Spatial inequality means unequal distribution of economic and social opportunities and facilities in space. Geographic space can be discussed in different formats. One of the most important formats, especially on a national scale, is the concept of region. Thus, regional inequality implies an imbalance in the spatial structure of regions and is manifested in differences in living conditions, economic inequalities, and levels of development. A review of the literature on inequality shows that regional social inequality is generally attributed to three main factors: economic development, social policy, and regional policy.
Methods: To measure spatial inequality across counties, we used data from the 2016 General Population and H ousing Census and other related findings. According to the 2016 census, the country has 429 counties. Factor analysis was used to weight and combine the indicators and create the spatial inequality. Based on the factor analysis, five factors were formed from economic, social, environmental, population structure and population density, and finally the spatial inequality was created by combining the factors. To show the zoning and leveling of inequality in the counties, Arc Pro software was used.
Findings: The results show that there is spatial inequality between the counties. This inequality, especially in economic and social indicators, is such that the counties in the border areas (with the exception of the northern regions) have higher spatial inequality than the counties in the center of the country. The regions with high inequality include the eastern half, especially the southeast and northeast, and then the west, northwest and southwest of the country. Among the indicators, the conditions are in favor of counties in border areas only in the index of population structure status. As for the environmental index, conditions are favorable in the western, northwestern and northern regions of the country.
Conclusion: The results of this research show that we face spatial inequalities between the counties of the country. These inequalities exist in various dimensions such as social, economic, environmental, population structure and population density. Moreover, the regions of the country, which are often the border and peripheral regions of the country, have higher inequalities than the central regions of the country. Also, due to the fact that these areas are among the first emigration areas of the country, there is a need for attention and practical plans to solve the internal spatial inequalities of the country