Assessing the Capacity of Economic Prosperity in Nine Regions Based on Iran

Awareness of the available resources and economic potentials of the regions is essential for growth and development. One of the important economic indicators which shows efficient utilization of human and natural resources in a region is the economic growth, production and the value added of the various economic sectors. The purpose of the present study is to achieve the relative advantages of each region by ranking the value added of different economic activities. Therefore, first, using the hierarchical analysis method, we weighed each of the 18 economic sub-sectors for our study and then in order to get results we use the data available at the statistical center for analysis by using TOPSIS approach for the year 2015. The result suggests that (with oil and gas value added) region 4 (Isfahan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Khuzestan) was ranked first with a coefficient of 0.6784 while Area 3 (Ilam, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Hamedan) with coefficient of 0.0650 obtains the last position. However, without oil and gas value added, zone 8 (Sistan Baluchestan, Kerman, Hormozgan, Yazd) was ranked first with a coefficient of 0.5587 while area 3 (Ilam, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Hamedan) ranked lowest with a coefficient of 0.0282. In addition, the TOPSIS approach result for all the provinces of Iran shows that, if we consider the value added for oil and gas, the Khuzestan province takes the first place while the Ilam province gets the last position. Pertinently, without value-added of oil and gas, Tehran province tops the list while Ilam province still maintains the last position.