Analyzing the similarities between energy consumption and GDP levels of world countries with multidimensional scaling method

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to provide the classification of world countries and the similarities (proximities) between them in terms of source of energy consumption, which plays an active role in the development process besides having a strategic importance and the GDP level as an indicator of economic development. In this direction, the relevant variables on the basis of 258 countries/groups of countries is taken into the scope of this study during the years 1971–2011 are included. The findings of the evaluation show that the changes in energy consumption level of the countries are not high enough to directly affect the changes in GDP levels, and the geographical location of the countries they are in can be expressed as an important factor in order to obtain similarities between changes in energy consumption and GDP levels.

KEYWORDS:

• Energy consumption
• gross domestic product
• multidimensional scaling
• perceptual space
• world countries