| Article ID: | iaor20022894 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Volume: | 21 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Start Page Number: | 139 |
| End Page Number: | 152 |
| Publication Date: | Dec 2001 |
| Journal: | Investigao Operacional |
| Authors: | Soares J.O., Marqus M.M.L., Coutinho M.C.V. |
| Keywords: | statistics: multivariate |
The aim of this article is to find a coherent socio-economic classification of the Portuguese continental territory, in order to support regional development policy. This classification is obtained through the use of a multivariate statistical method – cluster analysis – and is based on a wide number of demographic, economic, health, education, employment and culture indicators, concerning the 275 municipalities into which the territory was divided in 1995. The results lead to the identification of 4 regions with differing degrees of development, reflecting the well-known asymmetry between coastal and inland zones. This classification is much more useful for policy making than the usual division in administrative regions (NUT-2), which are geographically contiguous but clearly heterogeneous.