Investments in fixed assets and human capital: Two interconnected drivers of socioeconomic growth

Abstract

This paper highlights the great importance of increasing the share of the knowledge economy in the GDP, which is currently 13% in Russia, compared to 30% in Western Europe and the United States. The accelerated growth in the fixed asset and investment in the knowledge economy at levels of 20–25% and 20%, respectively, by 2020 have been justified. Attention is drawn to the inadequately low, declining level of investment in healthcare in Russia, the GDP share of which is twice as low as in 25 developed countries and 1.5 times lower than in 30 developing countries, which is reflected in the increased mortality rate. The WHO data on the average life expectancy of men has been analyzed; it amounts to only 58.7 years, which is below the age of retirement in Russia. In developed countries, the average life expectancy of men is 13–14 years higher. It has been concluded that, in order to tackle the long-term challenges in human capital, it is necessary to boost labor productivity and increase wages by reducing the groundless differentiation of the population’s income to the level of Western European countries.