The Role of Agricultural Credit in Stabilization of Rural Population: A Case Study of Rural Settlements in Kashan Area of Iran

In rural development topics, it is expected that the government's efforts in allocating agricultural credits will result in the stabilization of the rural population. This applied and quantitative study aimed at investigating the role of agricultural credit in stabilization of rural population of rural settlements in Kashan area of Iran. The methodology was inductive and it was a descriptive-analytical study with a comparative approach. The statistical population included the rural people of the area. The sample size consisted of 574 people. The required data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed in descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The study results showed that the difference in averages between the two concerned groups of people (those having credits and those having no credits) was statistically significant in terms of the four variables including improved agriculture, increase in satisfaction, improved economic conditions, and increase in employment opportunities; but these two types of independent variables (i.e. the credits and the above-mentioned four variables) had no significant relation with the dependent variable of migration. Thus, it could be concluded that there was a weak relationship between the stabilization of rural population and the agricultural credits allocated in rural settlements of Kashan area