Village Population in Çorum: The Psychology of Rural Life in a Province Where One in Four Lives in a Village

The village population in Çorum is about four times the Turkish average. What does rural life mean for farming, family, loneliness and belonging? A data look.

The proportion of people living in villages in Turkey is now quite small: according to 2025 data, only 6.4% of the population lives outside provincial and district centres. In Çorum, however, the picture is different. According to the 2025 briefing of the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, in 2024 126,143 people in the province, or 24.2% of the population, lived in villages. Roughly one in every four people in Çorum lives in a village. In this respect, the village population in Çorum is around four times the Turkish average. This proportion makes Çorum, on the one hand, a developing industrial city and, on the other, a province that keeps alive a strong agricultural and village culture. In this article I will discuss the data on rural life, and then the psychological aspects of living in a village, being cut off from the village, and staying in the village.

What Do the Figures Say? Village Population in Çorum and the Rural Economy

The main data describing rural life are as follows:

• Village population: In 2024, 395,192 people (75.8%) lived in provincial and district centres and 126,143 people (24.2%) lived in villages. The province has 14 districts, 759 villages and 2 small towns (Çorum Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Briefing 2025).
• Comparison with Turkey: In Turkey, the proportion of people living in provincial and district centres was 93.6% in 2025. Because the years differ, the comparison is approximate, but the difference is very marked.
• The central district: The urbanisation rate in Çorum's central district is 89.5% (Central Black Sea Development Agency, OKA, TR83 Regional Plan, 2021 data). In other words, the village population is concentrated mainly in the districts outside the centre.
• The place of agriculture in the economy: According to the OKA Regional Plan, agriculture's share of Çorum's gross domestic product was 17.97% in 2021; in Turkey this share is 5.54%. In 2010, the share in Çorum was over 25%.
• Agricultural employment: In the TR83 region (Samsun, Tokat, Çorum, Amasya), which includes Çorum, 38.3% of employment was in agriculture in 2021; in Turkey it was 17.2% (Mek, 2023, citing TÜİK, the Turkish Statistical Institute).
• Unpaid family work: In the same region, 55.3% of those working in agriculture are unpaid family workers; that is, people who work in the family business but do not receive a regular wage.
• Households with an older person: According to OKA data based on TÜİK, in 2022 at least one older person lived in 34.2% of households in Çorum (Turkey: 24.1%). Of single-person households of older people, 75.4% are women.

The difference between the centre and the rural districts can also be seen in the 2022 District Socio-Economic Development Ranking (SEGE) study by the General Directorate of Development Agencies: while Çorum's central district ranks 129th out of 973 districts and sits in the second tier, a significant proportion of the province's predominantly rural districts are in the lower tiers.

The limits of the data

These figures should not be read as a picture of "deprivation". Indices such as SEGE measure access to services and indicators of income and employment; they do not measure the happiness, solidarity or life satisfaction of the people who live in a place. In addition, regional employment data (TR83) reflect not only Çorum but four provinces together. Province-level figures specific to Çorum on informal employment and on labour force by sex could not be found either.

A Sociological Reading: Why Is the Village Population in Çorum Still High?

There are several possible factors that might explain why the village population in Çorum remains so far above the Turkish average.

Agriculture continues. Although agriculture's share of the provincial economy has fallen, it is still more than three times the Turkish figure. Family farms that continue with their land, livestock and labour are the main tie that keeps people in the villages.

Ageing villages. A significant proportion of those who remain in rural areas are older people. While the younger generation leaves for the centre or for other provinces for education and work, older people often do not want to leave their land, their homes and their neighbours.

Lives that move between the centre and the village. Some families spend the winter in the centre and the summer in the village; some workers commute from the village to their job in the centre. This "two-address" life may not be fully reflected in the official village population figures.

Industry and agriculture intertwined. While industry has grown in Çorum, agriculture has not been completely abandoned. In the same family, one brother may work in a factory while another sows the field. The identities of "industrial city" and "agricultural province" live side by side.

A Psychological Reading: Living in the Village, Staying in the Village, Leaving the Village

Rural life should be neither romanticised nor seen as a problem. Living in a village has both protective and challenging aspects.

Protective aspects: land, neighbourliness and continuity

For many people living in villages, the strongest resource is being part of a community whose members know one another. A neighbour knocking on the door, shared work, weddings and funerals lived through together make a person feel that they are not alone. Being close to nature, living according to the rhythm of the seasons and staying physically active are also valuable for mental health. Having lived on the same land for generations gives a strong sense of belonging and continuity.

Challenging aspects: distance, invisible labour and loneliness

On the other hand, rural life also has its own particular stresses:

• Distance from services: Getting to a doctor, a hospital or a specialist can mean a journey, transport and a financial burden, especially for older people.
• Economic uncertainty: Factors beyond a person's control, such as the harvest, the weather, input prices and the sale of produce, can create a constant worry about making a living.
• Invisible labour: Unpaid family work in agriculture can mean, especially for women, "working but not being counted as working". Having no income of one's own can increase feelings of worthlessness and economic dependence.
• The emptying village and the loneliness of those who remain: As the young people leave, those who stay in the village grow older, and in the winter months most of the houses stand empty. Especially for older people who have lost their spouse, long winter days can deepen the feeling of loneliness.
• Social control: In a small community where everyone knows everyone, pressure is as strong as support. Making a different choice, asking for help or voicing a psychological difficulty may be postponed because of the worry about "what people will say".

Being a woman in a rural area

The burden of rural life is not shared equally between women and men. Women often work in the fields, the garden and the barn while also taking on housework, childcare and the care of older relatives. The fact that the female employment rate in the TR83 region appears above the Turkish average stems largely from unpaid family work in agriculture. In other words, women are working, but this labour often does not come back to them as income, social insurance or pension rights in their own name. This can increase economic dependence in old age. The fact that three quarters of single-person households of older people are women also suggests that women who are left alone in the village after losing their spouse are not few in number. Making women's labour visible within the family, involving them in decision-making and enabling them to maintain their own social networks can be counted among the protective factors for mental health.

The feelings of those who leave and those who stay

For families who move from the village to the centre or to a big city, migration is not just a change of address. Losing the bond with the land, the animals and the familiar daily rhythm sometimes creates an unnamed grief. Let us say a man in his sixties who has spent his life in the fields moves into a flat in the centre because his children insist. There is a comfortable home and a hospital nearby; but in the mornings he has no work to do and no neighbour to talk to. This person may feel useless, aimless and trapped. I discuss this experience in more detail in the article on migration from village to city.

Those who stay in the village face a different loss: their neighbours, their children, the school and the village coffee house leaving one by one. The feeling of being "among the last ones left" can hold both loyalty and deep loneliness.

A village is not just a settlement; it is a memory that reminds a person who they are and whom they belong to. Being cut off from this memory, and guarding it alone, can both be exhausting.

The difference between generations

There can be marked differences in values, expectations and ways of life between the older generation who grew up in the village and the grandchildren who grew up in the centre or in a big city. These differences can sometimes turn into a conflict between "in our day" and "times have changed". Yet both generations have something to give each other: the resilience and connection with nature of the older generation, and the curiosity and new opportunities of the younger generation.

Practical Suggestions for People in Rural Areas and Their Families

For those living in villages:

1. Keep social ties alive. When the village empties in the winter months, seeing neighbours regularly and gathering in shared spaces such as the mosque, the coffee house or the village headman's office eases loneliness.
2. Do not put off health check-ups. Although distance is an obstacle, regular check-ups allow both physical and psychological problems to be noticed early. Plan transport in advance with family members.
3. Make your own labour visible. If you do unpaid family work, talking about your contribution within the family and having a say in shared decisions supports your sense of self-worth.

For those with an older relative in a village:

1. Establish regular and predictable contact. Phone or video calls on set days create both security and something to look forward to for your older relative.
2. Make the decision to move together. If it is necessary to bring an elderly parent to the centre or to live with you, do not leave them out of the decision. Preserving their sense of control makes adjustment easier.
3. Do not cut the tie with the village completely. Even if there is a move, returning to the village in the summer months and seeing old neighbours can ease the sense of loss.

For those who have moved from the village to the centre:

1. Create new daily rhythms. Activities that keep body and mind busy, such as gardening, growing plants on the balcony, walking or voluntary work, reduce feelings of idleness and aimlessness.
2. Build a new social circle deliberately. The neighbourhood, the mosque congregation, and hometown and village associations can help in creating a sense of belonging in a new environment.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

The difficulties of rural life are often overcome with the support of family and community. However, if the following situations continue for a long time, it may be helpful to seek support from a professional:

• If an older relative has been withdrawn for weeks, their appetite and sleep are disturbed, and they take no pleasure in anything,
• If, after moving from the village, you constantly feel useless, worthless or hopeless,
• If worries about making a living, debt or loss of harvest are noticeably affecting your sleep, your relationships and your day-to-day functioning,
• If loneliness has combined with alcohol use or tension in the family and become overwhelming,
• If the burden of care leaves you feeling exhausted and helpless.

In rural areas, psychological difficulties may remain hidden for longer because of shame or fear of stigma. If a relative talks about thoughts of death or of harming themselves, take it seriously; in an emergency call 112 (emergency services) or go to the nearest emergency department.

How Are the Difficulties of Rural Life Addressed in Therapy?

Difficulties related to rural life are generally addressed in therapy through themes of loss, adjustment, loneliness and role change. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps people notice automatic thoughts such as "I'm no use to anyone any more" or "I mustn't be a burden on anyone" and develop more balanced thoughts. The technique known as behavioural activation aims to help a person return to meaningful and enjoyable activities; this can be helpful for the feeling of aimlessness experienced in particular by older people who have moved from the village or retired.

Where low mood, hopelessness and loss of enjoyment are in the foreground, work in the area of depression and mood includes assessing the symptoms and, where necessary, collaborating with a psychiatrist. When working with older clients, involving family members in the process, sharing the burden of care and strengthening communication between generations also play an important part. For people who live in villages and find it difficult to reach the centre, online sessions can be an option.

Frequently Asked Questions

How large is the village population in Çorum?

According to the 2025 briefing of the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, 126,143 people were living in villages in Çorum in 2024; this is 24.2% of the provincial population. In Turkey, the proportion of people living outside provincial and district centres is around 6.4%.

Is living in a village good for mental health?

Living in a village has protective aspects such as contact with nature, physical activity and strong neighbourly relationships. However, distance from services, economic uncertainty and the loneliness that grows as young people migrate can also be challenging. The effect varies according to a person's social ties and circumstances.

Should I bring my elderly mother from the village to the centre?

There is no single right answer to this decision. Your mother's wishes, habits and social circle matter as much as her health, safety and care needs. Making the decision together with her and not completely cutting her ties with the village makes the adjustment process easier.

Why can unpaid family work be psychologically wearing?

Not receiving a regular income in return for one's labour can lead to one's contribution remaining invisible and to feeling economically dependent. Over time this can feed a sense of worthlessness and of having no say. Recognition of this labour within the family eases the burden.

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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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