Methodological Approach to Comprehensive Assessment of Living Standards in Russian Regions

Introduction. Improving the living standards of the population is the most important task facing public authorities. However, its solution is impossible without a clear understanding of what is meant by this definition and how this indicator should be assessed. Despite the wide representation of studies on this issue, there is actually no unified position and, consequently, no generally accepted assessment. The use of private indicators gives contradictory results. In this regard, the aim of the study is to develop a methodology for the comprehensive assessment of living standards in Russian regions. Materials and Methods. The methods of grouping, dynamic and structural analysis, correlation analysis and others were applied in the framework of the task. The information base of the study was formed by the data of the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia, as well as the works of domestic and foreign scientists in the field under consideration. The research proposed an approach to the formation of an integral assessment of the standard of living of the population of Russian regions, based on a two-stage convolution of 22 private indicators divided into five groups, taking into account the weighting coefficients. Further the methodology was tested on the data on the regions of the Russian Federation. Results. According to the results of the approbation, the ratings of regions by standard of living for 2017‒2021 were formed, which allowed us to consider its dynamics. It was revealed that, in general, the positions of leaders and outsiders remain stable; the differentiation between regions does not decrease. At the same time, while outsiders have weak positions in the overwhelming number of indicators, leadership can be due to different components of the integral indicator. Discussion and Conclusion. The obtained results can be used by the authorities responsible for the development and implementation of state policy in the field of regional development, social security and other related areas. Forecast assessments allow us to identify threats to the realization of the task of improving living standards in Russian regions.