Improving the standard of living in Arctic regions as a fundamental requirement for Russia's national security

The population in the Russian Arctic is dwindling, primarily due to migration outflows linked to significant disparities in living standards across the nation. This underscores the importance and objective of this article, which aims to evaluate the standard of living in strategically important regions of the country and propose a comprehensive set of measures for improvement. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the authors' introduction and validation of a methodology for standard-of-living assessment distinct from the official approach. To attain the study's goal, a broader array of indicators was employed, encompassing material conditions, employment rates, housing conditions, and the development of infrastructure for education, health, culture, and sports. Findings reveal that inhabitants of Arctic regions generally experience a lower standard of living compared to residents of other Russian territories. Noteworthy disparities include a substantial deviation from the average Russian level in the ratio of income per capita and its principal components to the subsistence level, higher poverty rates, higher unemployment rates, a significant number of families requiring improved housing conditions, and limited access to quality higher education and cultural services. The Chukotka Autonomous District, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, and Murmansk Region exhibit more favorable living conditions, while the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Nenets Autonomous District, and Krasnoyarsk Territory face greater challenges, as per Rosstat data for 2021. This study advocates for the exclusion of average monthly income as an indicator in the Strategy for the Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, focusing instead on three key indicators: the ratio of income per capita to the subsistence level, the proportion of the population with income below the subsistence level, and the proportion of families in need of improved housing conditions. Target levels for these indicators are proposed, accompanied by measures to improve the standard of living in Arctic regions. The proposed approach can be used to assess the standard of living in other Russian regions.