Inhomogeneity of the regional space and its impact on the population life quality in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation

Abstract

Introduction. The authors clarify and expand the concepts of heterogeneity properties of regional socio-economic and digital spaces. Heterogeneity of space is associated with the regional uneven development and results in their socio-economic and digital differentiation, which, in turn, determines unequal conditions for ensuring the population’s life quality. In the context of the study, heterogeneity of the regional space is defined as a property of uneven spatial development of the Russian Federation’s constituent entities according to the territorial, sectoral, and temporary characteristics that determine and affect the level and quality of life of the population. The citizens’ life quality throughout the country is an absolute priority of economic development at the federal and regional levels. Indeed, only then should we speak of a positive assessment of economic growth when it does not follow the path of the previous inefficient development, but is aimed at achieving a real improvement in people’s wellbeing [3; 4; 17]. Taking into consideration the particular importance of social priorities and their implementation throughout the country, the authors think it necessary to study the properties of the economic space, to determine their impact on the population’s life quality. The aim of the study is to analyze the effect of heterogeneity of the regional socio-economic and digital spaces on the population’s life quality in the Russian Federation’s constituent entities. Methods. To conduct the study, the authors make use of statistical analysis based on the data of the Russian Statistics Agency, Moscow School of Management Skolkovo, Russian Information Agency Rating; content analysis, methods of comparative analysis and positioning of regions. The scientific novelty of the study consists in expanding ideas about heterogeneity of the regional space from the standpoint of the regional socioeconomic situation and the level of their digitalization, which result in differentiating the Russian Federation’s subjects and unequal conditions for the people’s life, to a different extent affecting the population’s life quality throughout the country. In methodological terms, the study is supplemented by a pairwise comparison of the regional space characteristics and the multivariate positioning of regions in the coordinates: socio-economic space - quality of life; digitalization is a quality of life. Results. The authors study the impact of integrated indicators of the socio-economic situation of the regions, their digitalization level on the population’s life quality in the Russian Federation’s constituent entities. At the same time, the authors apply a comparison of various integral nature of the regional space indicators used, as a rule, autonomously, for multi-characteristic typologies (groups of regions I—IV and groups of regions A—D), by means of which a group of the most powerful regions was identified where the life quality is associated with the best socio-economic situation and active digitalization of these regions. Conclusions. It was found that uneven economic and digital territory development leads to interregional differentiation of the population’s life quality, as a result of which the leading regions and the outsider regions are distinguished, characterized by unequal conditions for the citizens’ life. The typology made it possible to identify groups of regions for which selective measures are needed to increase the level and quality of the population’s life. For some regions, the priority is to use their economic potential and new digital technologies, for others, active interregional interaction; the third (the weakest) cannot provide a decent standard of living without profound government support.