Digital Social Capital in Russian Regions: Theoretical Approaches and Practical Issues

Digitalization is one of the strategic directions of the regional agenda in Russia, while the problem of digital inequality in various regions of the Russian Federation remains relevant, which affects the economic and social opportunities of the population of these regions. The relevance of the study is determined by the scientific and practical significance of studying the factors that determine the scale and pace of development of digital technologies for the expansion of various fields of activity in the regions of Russia and, in particular, shaping the social capital of the regions in the digital environment. The purpose of the article is to consider theoretical approaches to understanding digital capital, including the relationship between digital and human capital, as well as to analyze the practice of forming digital capital in the regions of Russia. The empirical basis of the study was made up of Rosstat data, presented using tables with subsequent description and analysis. The results show the absence of significant digital inequality in the regions, while for the period 2018-2022. There is a progressive increase in digitalization in all regions of the Russian Federation. The development of the digital capital of the region is determined not only by the formation of the digital environment, but also by the creation of conditions for increasing the digital capital of the population in terms of the relevant needs, skills and competence of the citizens living there. It should be noted, that special attention should be paid to elderly people and people with disabilities.