Heterogeneity of Economic Development of Russian Macroregions

Abstract

As macroregions play an ambiguous role in the Russian system of spatial transformation management, it becomes important to examine the specificity of their development. The study aims to characterise economic heterogeneity of macroregions defined in the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation. To this end, heterogeneity indices of the data array (coefficients of variation, asymmetry and kurtosis) were calculated. Territorial units were compared using such complex indicators, as gross regional product (GRP), amount of investment and population income. The calculation results indicate a significant unevenness of economic development of macroregions for the analysed period from 2000 to 2022 (or to 2021 in the case of assessing average GRP per capita). Due to differences in inter-territorial heterogeneity at the level of individual macroregions, these units can be divided into 3 groups. The Central, Northern, Ural-Siberian and Far Eastern macroregions are characterised by significant uneven development of their constituent entities and the absence of a reduction trend. In most observations, their coefficients of variation are up to 4 times higher than the threshold value of 0.33. On the contrary, the Central Black Earth, North Caucasus and Volga-Ural macroregions are quite homogeneous: the values of all examined coefficients are close to the threshold values or below them. A high degree of differentiation and the absence of a tendency to change are characteristic of economic development of other macroregions. The study presents a sceptical view at the prospects for achieving the goals set in the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation. Thus, the findings can be used in practice to improve spatial policy in Russia.