Research of features of statistical accounting of primary disability of the adult population in Russia

Abstract

Disability of the population is one of the most topical challenges to society in the context of demographic aging of the population. To ensure the most effective response to this challenge, reliable information is needed about the health status of the population and the actual extent of disability in the main socio-demographic groups. In Russia, the study of disability issues is devoted to the works of many researchers, performed in the framework of medical, sociological and economic disciplines. Special attention is paid to the structure and dynamics of disability in the country as a whole and in its regions. At the same time, a special feature of the Russian system of statistical accounting for the number of disabled people is its focus on registering recipients of pensions and disability benefits, as well as on data on citizensʼ requests for identification of a disability group. This makes it difficult to assess the real extent of disability, because a part of the population is not included in the number of disabled. At the same time, the extent of accounting errors depends, inter alia, on the rules and criteria for determining disability established by the state. Taking into account these theses, the purpose of this study is the evaluation of the impact of social policy on the dynamics and structure of primary disability in the adult population of the Russian Federation. The information base of the study was made up of research data on similar topics, data from international organizations, and data from Russian state statistics. The paper summarizes and analyzes information about the number and structure of the disabled population, the dynamics of primary disability indicators, and the populationʼs requests for identification of a disability group. The main changes in the legislation regulating the procedure and criteria for recognizing citizens as disabled are analyzed. It is shown that a sharp increase in primary disability in 2005 was due to an increase in the number of applications for disability by citizens of retirement age. The main incentives were the monetization of benefits, changes in disability criteria and rules for pension provision for disabled people. It is proved that the registered indicators of primary disability depend on the reaction of the population to the social policy of the state, and this reaction is differentiated by socio-demographic groups of the population.ʼ