How has Çorum's development ranking changed over 15 years? We examine SEGE data, the gap between the centre and districts, and how being in the middle feels.
When people are asked "What kind of place is Çorum?", the answers tend to sound similar: "Not bad, but nothing special either." This intuitive answer has an official counterpart. In SEGE, the studies in which the Turkish state compares provinces by socio-economic development, Çorum has sat in the lower-middle band, in the fourth tier, among 81 provinces for fifteen years. It was 50th in 2011 and again in 2017. In SEGE-2025, published by the Ministry of Industry and Technology in October 2025, it climbed seven places to 43rd. Çorum's development ranking is not a table that only matters to economists. It can also shape how a city sees itself, how young people decide whether to stay and how much hope people have for the future. In this article we read the figures and the psychology behind them together.
Çorum Development Ranking: What Do the Numbers Say?
SEGE (the Socio-Economic Development Ranking) is an official index that compares provinces across dimensions such as demographics, employment, education, health, competitive and innovative capacity, fiscal structure, accessibility and quality of life. Provinces are divided into six tiers. The first tier contains the most developed provinces and the sixth tier the least developed.
Çorum's position in the three studies is as follows:
- SEGE-2011 (Ministry of Development): 50th place, 4th tier
- SEGE-2017 (Directorate General of Development Agencies, 2013–2014 data): 50th place, 4th tier
- SEGE-2025 (Ministry of Industry and Technology, 52 variables): 43rd place, 4th tier
Çorum's rankings in the SEGE-2025 sub-dimensions paint an interesting picture. It is 20th in competitive and innovative capacity, placing it within the top quarter. By contrast, it is 52nd in education, 51st in employment and 49th on the fiscal dimension. The most striking change between 2017 and 2025 is in competitive capacity, where it rose from 40th to 20th. There is also clear progress in health (from 52nd to 36th) and demographics (from 59th to 35th). In quality of life, however, there is a slight decline from 42nd to 45th.
SEGE-2025 also contains another striking indicator: according to 2024 TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) data, Çorum ranks second in Turkey for exports per person, at 6,654 US dollars. Yet according to TÜİK's provincial GDP data as reported in the news, it ranked 55th of 81 provinces for income per person in the same year. According to the regional plan of the Central Black Sea Development Agency (OKA), the province's nominal GDP grew 7.24-fold between 2004 and 2021. That increase was the second lowest of the 81 provinces. The Turkish average over the same period was around 12.6-fold.
The Limits of the Data
SEGE is a relative ranking. A province's position depends as much on how fast other provinces move as on its own situation. In addition, the SEGE-2017 data relate to 2013–2014, so it would not be accurate to say "nothing has changed in 15 years". There is also no province-level SEGE study for 2022; that year only districts were ranked. Care is needed when reading the exports-per-person figure as well. Official sources link a significant share of exports to trade in precious metals and jewellery. The record export figures therefore do not reflect the full picture of income levels in the city.
The Centre and the Districts: Different Levels of Development in the Same Province
A provincial average hides internal differences. The District SEGE-2022 study by the Directorate General of Development Agencies shows this clearly. Among Turkey's 973 districts, Çorum's central district ranks 129th and sits in the 2nd tier. In other words, the central district is among the more developed districts nationally. Osmancık (430th), Sungurlu (463rd), Alaca (516th) and İskilip (627th) are in the 4th tier. Dodurga, Kargı, Boğazkale, Ortaköy, Mecitözü, Laçin and Oğuzlar are in the 5th tier. Bayat (874th) and Uğurludağ (887th) are in the 6th tier, the lowest.
This picture shows that very different lives are being lived within the same provincial boundaries. While the centre has an organised industrial zone, a university and hospitals, agriculture and an older population define life in some districts. The phrase "Çorum is in the middle" is really an average in which the centre is near the top and some districts are near the bottom.
This internal gap is reflected in daily life too. For a young person growing up in a lower-tier district, the options after secondary school often require leaving the district. A family living in the centre is closer to the university, the hospital and industrial jobs. So when talking about Çorum's development ranking, it is worth asking "which Çorum?". Within the same province, one person may say "everything is here", while another says "there is no future for me here".
What Does "Being in the Middle" Tell Us? A Sociological Reading
There are several possible reasons why a province stays in the same band for a long time. These are not definitive explanations but factors to be considered together.
Industry and agriculture intertwined. According to OKA's regional plan, agriculture accounted for 17.97 per cent of the province's GDP in 2021, compared with 5.54 per cent in Turkey. Çorum is on the one hand an industrial city known for machinery, casting and flour-mill technology, and on the other a strong agricultural province. The two economies move forward together, but at different speeds.
Low unemployment, limited wages. According to SEGE-2025, the unemployment rate in 2024 was 6.15 per cent, below Turkey's 8.7 per cent. However, SEGE-2017 highlights that the average daily earnings in the province remain low. Finding a job is relatively easy, but a job does not always mean a good income.
Migration and the loss of young people. Being in the lower half for education and employment may also be related to qualified young people moving to big cities. Those who leave take with them part of the human capital that shapes development indicators.
A rise in relative poverty. According to OKA's regional plan, based on TÜİK data, the relative poverty rate in the TR83 region, which includes Çorum, rose from 15.75 per cent in 2014 to 18.6 per cent in 2022. In Turkey the rate remained almost unchanged over the same period, standing at 21.6 per cent. So the region is still below the national average, but the gap is narrowing.
The Psychology of Rankings: Comparison, Belonging and Hopes for the Future
Does a ranking have a psychological effect? Not directly. Nobody reads a SEGE table and feels bad. But the everyday reality that the table reflects can influence how people see themselves and their city.
A Sense of Relative Deprivation
In psychology, relative deprivation is the feeling of lacking something that comes from comparing one's own situation with others. In Çorum, a person might read headlines saying "our city is second in Turkey for exports" while finding that their own salary does not last until the end of the month. This contradiction can feed the feeling of "everyone else is getting ahead, so why can't I?". That feeling can increase financial anxiety, anger and a sense of worthlessness. Our article on income per person in Çorum, which looks at the income side, explores this contradiction in more detail.
The "Neither Bad Nor Good" Perception and Indecision
Being in the middle does not offer a clear story. Leaving a clearly disadvantaged place is easy to justify, and so is staying in a highly developed one. In a city in the middle, however, young people may remain in a constant state of indecision: "If I stay, will I miss opportunities? If I go, am I leaving my family and my roots behind?" When this dilemma combines with anxiety about the future, it can keep a person suspended for years.
Civic Pride and Belonging
On the other hand, a rise in the ranking can also be a psychological resource. Climbing seven places and entering the top quarter for competitive capacity can support a feeling among residents that "things are happening here too". A sense of belonging is one of the protective factors for mental health. Feeling that you belong to a city increases resilience in the face of difficulties.
The Story a City Tells Itself
Communities, like individuals, tell stories about themselves. When the phrase "nothing ever comes of this place" is repeated often, it can turn into a collective sense of helplessness. The concept known in psychology as collective efficacy describes a community's belief that it can achieve results by acting together. When this belief weakens, people may hold back from taking part in local initiatives, volunteering and generating ideas for the city. Conversely, making small successes visible can strengthen both individual hope and community ties by nurturing the feeling that "it can be done here too".
A city's place in a ranking says nothing about the worth of the people who live there; it only describes that city's position on certain indicators.
Reflecting on Çorum's Development Ranking: Suggestions for Individuals and Families
We cannot change the economic structure on our own, but we can change how we relate to it. The following suggestions may help:
- Make comparisons concrete. Compare yourself not with "everyone in Ankara" but with your own past and your own goals. High salaries in big cities often come with high rents, long commutes and loneliness.
- Treat the decision to stay or go as a process. You do not have to decide in a single moment. Write down the pros and cons, try short trial periods if possible and set yourself a timeframe for the decision.
- Talk openly with young people. If you are a parent, try to read your child's wish to leave not as "they are abandoning us" but as "they are looking for their own path". Pressuring them to stay and pressuring them to leave both take away their ownership of the decision.
- Explore local opportunities. Look into resources such as the university, the organised industrial zones and the development agency's programmes. Getting to know what the city offers balances the thought that "there's nothing here".
- Put limits on financial worry. Constantly following the news and comparisons on social media can increase anxiety. Set aside specific times for keeping informed.
- Strengthen community ties. Neighbourliness, associations and volunteering provide social support and nurture a sense of belonging to the city.
- Define your own development goals. The city's ranking does not have to set your goals. Learning a new skill, joining a certificate programme or working on a small business idea nurtures a sense of personal progress and reduces the feeling of helplessness tied to external conditions.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Economic uncertainty and anxiety about the future are feelings everyone experiences from time to time. However, seeking support from a specialist may be helpful in the following situations:
- If worries about the future stay on your mind all day and disturb your sleep
- If indecision about staying or leaving has lasted for months and is blocking other areas of your life
- If you constantly compare yourself with others and feel worthless
- If financial difficulties keep turning into conflict within the family
- If feelings of hopelessness are deepening and you are struggling to manage daily tasks
If hopelessness turns into thoughts of harming yourself, call 112 (emergency services) without delay. These signs do not in themselves amount to a diagnosis, but they may show that support is needed.
How Are Anxiety About the Future and the Stay-or-Go Dilemma Addressed in Therapy?
Therapy cannot change economic conditions, but it can work on the emotional and cognitive responses to them. Approaches frequently used in anxiety-focused work include:
Cognitive restructuring. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) aims to help you notice rigid thoughts such as "if I stay here my life will be wasted" or "if I leave I'll have let my family down" and evaluate them against the evidence.
Values-based decision-making. Clarifying what truly matters in a person's life makes the decision process easier. The order of values such as family, career, freedom and security is different for everyone.
Tolerating uncertainty. It is not possible to know the future for certain. In therapy, work focuses on the ability to live with uncertainty. This skill reduces anxiety regardless of the decision itself.
Schema awareness. For some people, "inadequacy" or "failure" schemas can lead them to perceive the city's position as a personal failure. Recognising these patterns allows today's decisions to be made more freely.
This work, which can be carried out face to face in Çorum or online, can offer a space for reflection both for those who choose to stay in the city and for those considering moving elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the SEGE ranking show whether living in a city is good or bad?
No. SEGE measures the relative position of provinces on certain economic and social indicators. How it feels to live in a city depends on many factors that are not part of the ranking, such as family ties, social networks, nature, a sense of safety and personal values.
Is it better to stay in Çorum or move to a big city?
There is no single answer that suits everyone. The decision depends on factors such as a person's profession, family situation, values and willingness to take risks. What matters is that the decision is made not under pressure but after clarifying your own priorities.
How does financial anxiety affect mental health?
Long-term financial anxiety can lead to sleep problems, tension, difficulty concentrating and conflict within the family. Focusing on the areas you can control, seeking social support and getting professional help when needed can ease these effects.
Will Çorum's development ranking keep rising?
It is impossible to say for certain, because the ranking also depends on how quickly other provinces develop. The rise in SEGE-2025 comes mainly from competitive and innovative capacity. Progress in the dimensions where the province remains in the lower half, such as education and employment, will be important in shaping the direction of the coming period.
Bu yazı genel bilgilendirme amaçlıdır; tanı veya tedavi yerine geçmez. Yaşadığınız güçlükler için bir ruh sağlığı uzmanına başvurmanız önerilir. Acil bir durumda lütfen 112'yi arayın.
Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
Eğitimler
