The article considers the mechanism of taking into account and evaluating the opinion of the population when implementing investment projects for industrial development of the territory in the Russian Arctic. To identify priority social problems, it is proposed to conduct sociological surveys of the population throughout the life cycle of projects. The information base of the study was the materials of ethnological expertise of projects for the exploration and production of alluvial diamonds in the Anabar and Oleneksky ulus (districts) of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as well as sociological surveys of the population in the framework of assessing the consequences of the diesel fuel spill in Norilsk and the consequences of its impact in the Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets Municipal District of the Krasnoyarsk region. Based on the conducted surveys of the population, the article identifies social problems associated with the industrial development of the territory and gives a comparative analysis of social problems at different stages of the implementation of mining projects. Besides, the article discusses the low level of income of the population, the outflow of young people, the reduction in the number of objects of traditional use, and the problems of preserving cultural traditions. It also draws conclusions about the relationship of social problems and proposes measures to reduce the consequences of identified social problems