IMPROVING THE STANDARD OF LIVING IN ARCTIC REGIONS  AS A FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENT FOR RUSSIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY

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Elena V. Strokan1, Lyudmila N. Lipatova2, Valentina N. Gradusova3

1, 2, 3The North-West Institute of Management — Branch of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy  and Public Administration, Saint Petersburg, Russia

1moiseeva-ev@ranepa.ru, ORCID 0009-0004-6656-1158

2ln.lipatova@yandex.ru, ORCID 0000-0002-9357-6708

3gradusova-vn@ranepa.ru, ORCID 0000-0002-0829-4555

Abstract. 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.

Keywords: Russian Arctic, priority territory, national security, standard of living, income per capita, poverty line, housing conditions, access to social benefits

Acknowledgments: this study was conducted at the North-West Institute of Management (Branch of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration) within the research project 122112900016-1 registered  in the EGISU NIOKTR system on November 29, 2022.

For citation: Strokan E. V., Lipatova L. N., Gradusova V. N. Improving the standard of living in Arctic regions as a fundamental requirement for Russia’s national security. Sever i rynok: formirovanie ekonomicheskogo poryadka [The North and the Market: Forming the Economic Order], 2024, no. 1, pp. 152–169. doi:10.37614/2220-802X.1.2024.83.011.

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