Determinants of divorce in Turkey: Panel data analysis

Divorce rates in Turkey are not so high, however we observe a growing rate of divorce in recent years a compered to our historical rates. This situation clearly illustrates that divorce in Turkey will become a serious social problem in the near future. Understanding the phenomenon of divorce and accurately analyzing the rapid growth in crude divorce rates in Turkey depends on the isolation of the factors which cause the couples to terminate their family unions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of crude divorce rates in all of Turkey on the basis of 26 sub-regions, during the years of 2007-2015. It is thought that the study will make a serious contribution to the available literature by virtue of highlighting regional differences and being comprehensive. Our analysis utilized panel data sets based on labor force status, education level and the country's overall development level. In this study, we propose seven different models using fixed and random effects panel regression models. To broadly share our findings, female labor force participation rates and unemployment rates increase the rate of crude divorce. An adverse relationship was found between male unemployment rates and crude divorce rates. When looked at in terms of education, an increase in women's education levels increased crude divorce rates in Turkey. We find a positive correlation between development level of a region and crude divorce rates. Moreover, we show that there are significant regional differences between the East and the West of Turkey insofar as divorce rates are concerned.