Interconnection between the level of people’s digital quality of life and investment attractiveness of Russian regions

Abstract

Digital transformation influenced not only economic branches and markets, but also people’s quality of life in different regions of the country. The purpose of the research is to evaluate people’s digital quality of life and to define its interconnection with investment capabilities of Russian regions. The authors measure digital component of people’s quality of life with a regional index including six subindices (digital skills of people, availability of digital goods for people, digital quality of working life, social sphere and services, state electronic services and safety of people informational activities). These subindices based on data from the regions of the Russian Federation were used to define the level of people’s life digitalization and to estimate the digital inequality with the application of R/P ratios and variation ratios during 2015 – 2018. This period corresponds to available data on information society and digital economy in Russian statistics. For all years of the considered period the first position is taken by safety of people informational activities and the last place belongs to digital quality of working life, social sphere and services. Digital inequality, based on four subindices, increased during 2015 – 2018. Results of research obtained with the use of econometric methods show complete or partial confirmation of connection: it is positive for investment potential indicators and the Russian regional index of digital component of people’s quality of life and its subindices. Government expenditures on the digital economy program in Russia have the worst result among other national projects. During the process of digitalization it is desirable to unite government investments, household expenditures and firm investments in order to improve regional programs performance and cope with possible disproportions.