In Istanbul, 20 neighborhoods with the highest socioeconomic status are home to 1.6 percent of the city's population, according to a recent study by Istanbul University (İÜ) Economics Faculty.
The "My Neighborhood Istanbul Project," supported by the Istanbul Development Agency of İÜ, surveyed the socioeconomic statuses of Istanbul's 959 neighborhoods.
The neighborhoods were classified in eight categories based on the variables of education, income and living conditions.
Classified from A+ to E, 20 neighborhoods were included in the A+ group, demonstrating the highest socioeconomic status. Of these 20, 10 were from Beşiktaş, four from Kadıköy, two from Beyoğlu, two from Bakırköy and one each from Şişli and Beykoz.
1.6 percent of Istanbul's population lives in these 20 neighborhoods which have the highest socioeconomic status.
58 neighborhoods in the second group comprise 4.9 percent of the population, indicating six out of every 100 people living in Istanbul live in neighborhoods with a relatively high socioeconomic status.
The upper middle class includes 135 neighborhoods with 16.3 percent of the population, while the middle group includes 329 neighborhoods with 42.2 percent.
The groups with the lowest socioeconomic status included 417 neighborhoods and made up 35.1 percent of the city's population.
İÜ Economics Faculty Member professor Murat Şeker attributed socioeconomic inequality among the neighborhoods to high levels of migration.
"Migration waves, which are highly socioeconomic in nature and low in quality, change the general outlook of Istanbul," Şeker told Anadolu Agency. He noted, however, that Syrian migrants were left out of the study, as their inclusion would have a strong effect on socioeconomic status ratings.
Şeker also announced a new map-based database system of Istanbul would open to the public in November, accessible online and through a mobile application.
"Citizens who use the application can access information on as many topics as possible from the last five years, from the distribution of votes in neighborhoods to age range, from housing prices to cinema and theater events," Şeker said.
