Quality of Life in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia): Rating of the Municipal Districts

Abstract

Introduction. In Russia, the issue of disparity in the quality of life between the regions remains urgent. To a large extent, it is manifested in the regions themselves, and is due to an objective factor of geographical location. The purpose of this study is to give a rating assessment of the quality of life in the largest constituent entity of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Materials and Methods. The information base of the study includes open data from the Territorial Body of the Federal State Statistics Service for the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and the ratings by Profile magazine and RIA Rating agency. To assess the quality of life in the municipal districts of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the sum-of-the-places rating method was adopted. Results. According to the ranking of the municipal districts of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the leaders (the capital and industrially developed regions) and outsiders (areas in the Arctic zone of Yakutia) were identified. It has been revealed that despite the efforts undertaken by the regional authorities, there is a significant gap in the quality of life in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The study has shown that there is no official or generally accepted system for assessing the quality of life. Moreover, there is no common understanding of indicators that comprehensively characterize the quality of life. Discussion and Conclusion. The study has confirmed the thesis that industrial development in association with development of the territory and formation of the infrastructure help improve the quality of life. On the other hand, industrial development and increased urbanization exacerbate the problem of safety of residents and make relevant the issues related to the provision of quality housing in extreme climatic conditions. The results of the rating can be used by the government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the municipal authorities in order to provide solutions for managing the quality of life.