Determine the Most Important Factors Affecting Population Distribution Using the Elastic Net Method

Abstract

Studying population distribution is of great importance in understanding demographic and economic patterns in Iraq. It is also of great importance in understanding and determining the nature of the geographical distribution of population in all regions and its impact on economic resources. where Some areas will attract large amounts of the population and some will be unattractive to the population. To find out the most important factors affecting the distribution of the population in Iraq, a group of factors affecting the distribution of the population were studied and analyzed using one of the methods for selecting variables, which is the Elastic Net method. where Monthly data was collected for five years (2018-2022). Using the R language program, it was concluded that the most important factors affecting population distribution are basically five factors (Job opportunities and economic activity, geographical location and terrain, technological development and availability of infrastructure, political stability and security, population growth rates and migration).