Per Capita Income in Çorum: Record Exports, Average Wages and the Psychology of Income

Why do Çorum per capita income figures and record export headlines paint different pictures? Relative deprivation, money worries and family life.

While local newspapers frequently report export records, the topic at the dinner table is often rent, bills and whether the salary will last until the end of the month. The gap between Çorum per capita income figures and export headlines puts numbers to a contradiction many people feel. According to the Ministry of Industry and Technology's SEGE-2025 study (the socio-economic development ranking of provinces), Çorum ranked second in Turkey in 2024 with exports of 6,654 dollars per person. By contrast, according to news reports citing TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) Gross Domestic Product by Province 2024 data, it ranks 55th out of 81 provinces in per capita gross domestic product. In this article we look at the data behind the question "the city is getting richer, so why don't I feel it?", the possible structural factors, and the psychological effects of this feeling on individuals and families.

Per Capita Income in Çorum: What Do the Figures Say?

Let us first look at the data available:

• Per capita income (GDP): According to news reports citing TÜİK's 2024 provincial data, per capita gross domestic product in Çorum is 328,605 TL, or about 10,010 dollars. Turkey's per capita value according to regional accounts is 15,325 dollars. Çorum is at roughly two-thirds of the Turkey average and ranks 55th.
• Per capita exports: According to SEGE-2025, at 6,654 dollars in 2024, the province ranks second in Turkey.
• Export growth: According to Ministry of Trade data, Çorum was the province with the third-largest increase in exports in 2025; the increase was around 1.9 billion dollars.
• The structure of exports: According to the Çorum Organised Industrial Zone brochure of the Central Black Sea Development Agency (OKA), in 2018 65 per cent of exports fell under "jewellery and related articles". OKA's 2024–2028 Regional Plan also links the large volumes of recent years to the precious metals and stones chapter.
• Long-term growth: According to the OKA Regional Plan, Çorum's nominal GDP grew 7.24-fold between 2004 and 2021. This increase ranks 80th out of 81 provinces; the Turkey average is about 12.6-fold.
• Wages: The SEGE-2017 report emphasises that, although labour market indicators in the province are good, average daily earnings, both overall and for women, remain low.
• Regional income distribution: According to the OKA Regional Plan, in the TR83 region that includes Çorum (Samsun, Tokat, Çorum, Amasya), equivalised household disposable income per person in 2022 was 88.4 per cent of the Turkey value. The Gini coefficient, which measures income inequality, at 0.395 points to a slightly more equal distribution than in Turkey as a whole. The relative poverty rate, at 18.6 per cent, is below Turkey's (21.6 per cent); however, this rate was 15.75 per cent in 2014, meaning it is rising in the region.

The limits of the data

Per capita GDP is calculated by dividing a province's total output by its population; it does not directly show the money that ends up in people's pockets. Export figures, meanwhile, are recorded according to where the trade is carried out, and high-volume items with limited employment, such as precious metals trading, can inflate these figures. Income and poverty data are published not at provincial level but at the level of a region covering four provinces. For this reason it is more accurate to read these indicators together as a trend rather than adding them up. It should also be remembered that the figures refer to different years: GDP and export data refer to 2024–2025, while income distribution and poverty data refer to 2022. In periods when economic conditions change rapidly, this difference in years is not a minor detail.

Why Do Per Capita Income and Perceived Prosperity Diverge in Çorum?

Several structural factors could explain the gap between record exports and average wages. These are possible explanations, not definite causes.

The composition of exports. As official sources also point out, a significant share of exports is linked to the precious metals trade. This kind of trade generates high monetary volume but may not create as broad an employment and wage effect as labour-intensive industries such as machinery, casting or food processing. The Regional Plan defines Çorum's real production base in areas such as grain technology, flour mill machinery, metal casting, and stone- and clay-based industries.

The weight of agriculture. According to the OKA Regional Plan, agriculture's share of the provincial economy was around 18 per cent in 2021; in Turkey this share is 5.5 per cent. Agricultural incomes fluctuate with the weather, input costs and prices, which can weaken households' income security.

Wage levels. Relatively low unemployment (6.15 per cent in 2024 according to SEGE-2025, against 8.7 per cent in Turkey) can give the impression that finding work is easy. However, as SEGE-2017 also emphasised, low average earnings can feed the feeling that "I'm working but it's not enough".

Relative decline. Being second from bottom out of 81 provinces in nominal growth points to Çorum's relative economic position within the country weakening over the long term. Someone who over the same period follows living standards in big cities on social media and through relatives may judge their own situation more negatively.

The cost of living. Price increases across Turkey in recent years are one of the factors that hit low- and middle-income households hardest. In a province where incomes remain around average, this pressure may be felt more acutely.

Rising regional poverty. The fact that the relative poverty rate in the TR83 region rose between 2014 and 2022, despite remaining below Turkey's, suggests that the number of households below the average has grown. Even if averages look good, this change may indicate that some families have become more vulnerable. Economic improvement not reaching everyone at the same pace can create an invisible sense of division in society between "the winners" and "those standing still".

A Psychological Reading: "The City Is Developing, So Why Don't I Feel It?"

Economic data may seem abstract, but it finds very concrete echoes in people's state of mind.

Relative deprivation

In psychology, relative deprivation is defined as a person feeling deprived when they compare what they have with what others have or with their own expectations. In other words, the gap between "what should be" and "what is" matters as much as absolute income. Record export headlines, the openings of large factories and images of luxury cars can strengthen the feeling that "everyone is earning, and I'm falling behind" in someone who sees no change in their own income.

Chronic worry about making ends meet

The fear of not making it to the end of the month is not just a financial problem; it is a constant source of stress that affects sleep, attention, patience and relationships. As we described in our article on the psychology of struggling to make ends meet, financial worry narrows the mind's bandwidth; the person struggles to make long-term plans and to make time for themselves and their loved ones.

Shame and concealment

In small and medium-sized cities everyone knows each other. Someone going through financial hardship may feel the need to hide it from those around them. Having to keep up appearances at weddings, during bayrams (religious holidays) and at school events can increase feelings of shame and exhaustion.

Tension within the family

Money is one of the most frequent subjects of arguments between couples. Who spends what, debts, children's requests and help given to members of the extended family can turn into a constant source of tension at home. Let us say that a father who works shifts at a factory, after setting aside most of his salary for rent and loan repayments, becomes angry when his son asks for money for a school trip. The real source of his anger is not his son but his own sense of helplessness; yet the child may perceive it as his own fault.

Different attitudes to money across generations

Generations living in the same home may have experienced money very differently. For a grandfather who grew up in a village living off his own land, thrift is a virtue and debt a source of shame. For the middle generation, working for a wage in industry, credit cards and instalments are part of everyday life. Young people, meanwhile, may measure themselves against the living standards they see on social media. These different perspectives can lead to arguments that swing between "Look at what we made do with at your age" and "You don't understand today's conditions". Both sides are right from their own experience; the problem is that these experiences are not shared with one another.

The dilemma of the future and migration

The thought that income is not enough can strengthen the belief, especially among young people, that "if I stay here, I won't get anywhere". This can be experienced as feeling trapped between leaving and staying, guilt about leaving the family, or, among those who stay, a worry that "I'm missing my chance". Our article on anxiety about the future may offer a further perspective on this.

Income is not just a number; it is also part of feeling safe, valued and able to look to the future with hope.

Practical Suggestions for Coping with Financial Anxiety

Although structural economic problems cannot be solved by individual effort, there are steps that can be taken to ease the burden these problems place on mental health.

For individuals:

• Make the numbers visible. Writing down income and outgoings in a notebook or on your phone reduces uncertainty. Uncertainty often produces more anxiety than the real situation does.
• Limit comparison. Watching other people's lives on social media can increase the sense of relative deprivation. Consciously cutting down this time can help.
• Focus on what you can control. You cannot change interest rates, but you can review a spending item, start a skills course or look into debt restructuring options.
• Do not neglect your body. Sleep, walking and regular meals directly affect your capacity to cope with stress.

For families and couples:

• Talk about money together. Turning the budget from a burden carried by one person into a shared subject reduces blame.
• Give children age-appropriate explanations. Saying "We can't buy that right now, but we can make a plan together" gives the child both the truth and a sense of security.
• Draw on the solidarity of relatives and neighbours. Shame isolates people; sharing a difficulty with people you trust can also bring practical solutions.

For institutions: Employers' employee assistance programmes (EAPs) and financial literacy training run by municipalities and civil society can play an important role in reducing the effects of economic stress on mental health.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

Feeling anxious in the face of financial difficulties is an entirely understandable reaction. However, it may be helpful to talk to a mental health professional in the following situations:

• If thoughts about money occupy your mind all day and you cannot focus on anything else
• If you have been experiencing sleep problems, palpitations, shortness of breath or stomach trouble for a long time
• If money-related arguments in the family have become more frequent and more intense
• If you constantly feel like a failure, worthless or helpless
• If you are struggling to control your anger and notice you are taking it out on your children or partner
• If you are trying to find relief through risky behaviours such as alcohol or gambling

These signs do not amount to a diagnosis on their own, but they remind you that you do not have to carry the burden alone.

How Is Financial Anxiety Addressed in Therapy?

Therapy does not, of course, solve a financial problem directly; but it can help manage the effect of that problem on thoughts, feelings and relationships. Where anxiety shows itself mainly through physical symptoms, work in the area of anxiety and panic can offer guidance.

Therapy usually follows these steps:

• Mapping the anxiety: Understanding which situations, thoughts and bodily reactions trigger anxiety.
• Cognitive restructuring: Within the framework of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), noticing thoughts that always assume the worst, such as "Everything is ruined" or "It will never get better", and developing more realistic alternatives.
• Problem-solving skills: Breaking a large and vague problem down into small, manageable steps.
• Anxiety management techniques: Breathing, relaxation and exercises that bring attention back to the present moment.
• Relationships and communication: Finding ways to talk about money with a partner or family without blame.
• Separating self-worth from income: Reviewing beliefs that equate a person's worth with their earnings.

Support can be received in Çorum face to face or through online sessions; the aim is for the person to feel more balanced and less alone, whatever their economic circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

If Çorum's exports are high, why is per capita income low?

A significant share of exports is linked to the precious metals trade, and although this kind of trade generates high volume, it may not have a broad effect on wages. In addition, per capita income covers all economic output and is affected by factors such as the weight of agriculture and wage levels. For this reason the two indicators can paint different pictures.

What does relative deprivation mean?

It is when a person feels deprived on comparing their own situation with others or with their expectations. Even if income stays the same, this feeling can grow stronger as images of wealth around them increase. Relative deprivation can be associated with unhappiness, anger and anxiety.

How does financial anxiety affect children?

Children often sense tension at home before it is put into words. Unexplained anxiety can create guilt or insecurity in a child. Explaining the situation in calm, age-appropriate language and reassuring the child help to reduce this effect.

Is it worth seeking psychological support for financial problems?

Therapy does not solve the financial problem directly, but it can help manage anxiety, sleeplessness, tension within the family and feelings of worthlessness. When the mind is calmer, it also becomes easier to come up with practical solutions.

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• #Çorum

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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.

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