Incomes of the Population as a Factor of Interregional Economic Integration

The theoretical aspects of the influence of the population incomes on the driving forces of the formation of processes of interregional economic integration are considered. Such driving forces are the interregional movement of commodity flows and capital and on the development of interregional cooperative and network relations of enterprises. A nature of such influence is determined and indicators are identified that allow it to be evaluated. On the example of an agro-industrial region (Altai Territory) using state statistics data from the early 2000s, a significant indirect effect of changes in real incomes and purchasing power on the physical volume of retail trade turnover and, as a result, on the interregional movement of commodity flows and capital, which was most clearly manifested during the crisis periods of economic development, are identified. The influence of low wages of employees of organizations of the region, its purchasing power on the formation of primarily low-tech value chains, inhibition of the development of interregional high-tech cooperative and network interactions of enterprises is substantiated.