Orta ve Doğu Avrupa Ülkelerinde Gelir Eşitsizliği

Orta ve Doğu Avrupa (ODA) ülkeleri ortak bir geçmişe sahip olarak 1990’lı yıllarda geçiş sürecinden geçmişlerdir. Geçiş sürecini takip eden dönemde, ekonomi ve kurumlarında önemli yapısal değişmeler yaşamışlar ve ekonomileri hızlı bir biçimde büyüme göstermiştir. Her ne kadar ülkeler için iktisadi büyümenin sağlanması önem taşısa da bu tek başına yeterli olmayıp; büyümenin daha eşit bir gelir dağılımıyla desteklenmesini gerekli kılmaktadır. Dolayısıyla, iktisadi büyüme ve kalkınma açısından gelir eşitsizliği konusu, özellikle ODA ülkeleri bakımından önemli hale gelmektedir. Bu çalışma 12 ODA ülkesinde gelir dağılımında eşitsizliğini betimsel araştırma yönteminden faydalanarak incelemektedir. Yoksulluk oranı, yoksulluk riski taşıma oranı, gini katsayısı ve nüfusun yüzdelik dilimlerine göre gelir dağılımı gibi konuyla ilgili çok sayıda istatistiksel göstergeden faydalanıldığı çalışmada ülke bazında çeşitli sonuçlara ulaşılmıştır. Çalışma bulguları bölgede gelir dağılımı eşitsizliğinin önemli bir sorun olduğunu açık bir şekilde göstermektedir. Bir çok göstergeye göre eşitsizliğin en yüksek olduğu ülkeler Bulgaristan, Romanya ve Arnavutluk olup bu ülkeleri Letonya ve Litvanya takip etmektedir. Çekya, Slovenya ve Slovak Cumhuriyeti ise bölgede gelir dağılımının hem diğer ODA ülkelerine hem de AB27’ye görece daha eşit olduğu istisnai bir ülke grubunu oluşturmakta ve bu ülkeleri Estonya ve Macaristan takip etmektedir. Bu çalışma ile ulaşılan sonuçlar, ODA ülkelerindeki eşitsizliğin boyutunu azaltmayı hedefleyen politikaların tasarlanması süreçlerinde kullanılabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Gelir Eşitsizliği, Gelir Dağılımı, Orta ve Doğu Avrupa, ODA

Income Inequality in Central and Eastern European Countries

Central and Eastern European (CEE) economies share a common past and they passed through a transition period in the 1990s. They experienced rapid economic growth in the post-transition period by facing structural changes in their economies and institutions. Even though achieving economic growth is desirable, it is not sufficient alone; rather, it is expected to be supported by more even income distribution. Accordingly, income inequality becomes a crucial topic in economic growth and development, particularly for CEE countries. This study examines income inequality in 12 CEE economies using a descriptive research method. Using various indicators on the topic; such as the poverty headcount ratio, the at-risk-of-poverty rate, the Gini coefficient, and income quintiles and deciles-related measures, the study reaches diversified outcomes. The overall findings clearly show that income inequality is a critical concern in the region. Income inequality is the highest in Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania, and these economies are followed by Latvia and Lithuania according to most of the indicators utilized. Forming an exceptional group; Czechia, Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic have more even income distribution not only compared to the other CEE economies but also the EU27. These economies are followed by Estonia and Hungary according to the outcomes reached by this study. The findings of this study can be used for policy designs to decrease the extent of income inequality in CEE economies.

Keywords:

Income Inequality, Income Distribution, Central and Eastern Europe, CEE,

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