Level and quality of life, their main indicators. Separate components of the level and quality of life Spiritual indicators of quality of life

Kharitonova Tatyana Viktorovna, Masterskikh Inna Pavlovna"Economics and Entrepreneurship" Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "Russian State University of Tourism and Service"

Structure and content of the concept “quality of life”

In modern conditions, improving the quality of life of the population is an element of the state’s socio-economic policy, and measures to implement this policy are often programmatic in nature.

Let us dwell in more detail on the content of the concept of “quality of life”. It should immediately be noted that in a number of studies and programs the concept of “quality of life” is artificially narrowed and replaced by the concept of “standard of living.” This approach seems wrong to us, since the standard of living is primarily a socio-economic category, focused on quantitative assessment of the degree to which certain needs of people are satisfied (for example, food, clothing, housing, medicines, personal services, etc. ). Determining the standard of living is related to the amount of funds allocated by people to meet their needs, the level and structure of personal consumption. Therefore, this category is limited to estimates of its constituent indicators in monetary or natural units. UN documents note that the standard of living is calculated as the level of satisfaction of the needs of the population, provided by the mass of goods and services used per unit of time. Therefore, to determine the standard of living, it is necessary first of all to determine the degree to which the needs of the population are met.

The concept of “quality of life”, in contrast to “standard of living,” reflects the degree to which the entire range of human life needs is satisfied. Therefore, quality of life is considered as a system of quantitative and qualitative indicators that characterize the degree of implementation of people’s life strategies and satisfaction of their life needs. It is extremely difficult to directly quantify the quality of life of the population, since it integrates many aspects of people’s standard of living. In particular, individual needs, which are not recorded by any statistical values ​​and practically exist only in the minds of people, in the form of their personal opinions and assessments.

Currently, there is no generally accepted scientific definition of the concept of “quality of life”, therefore each author, as a rule, focuses on one of the aspects of this concept.

A number of definitions of quality of life refer to the degree to which a person’s material, cultural and spiritual needs are satisfied. In others, more complete and specific, a direct comparison is made of the actual level of satisfaction of needs with the basic one. All comparison procedures can be divided into two main groups:

• based on subjective self-esteem;
• based on external objective assessment.

Let's consider definitions of quality of life based on subjective self-assessment.

Quality of life is people's perception of their position in life in relation to their cultural background and value system and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. Obviously, this definition is based on the level of satisfaction with one's life. And this level is largely determined by the expectations of each individual person and depends on the standards accepted in the social microenvironment with which he associates himself.

As an example of defining quality of life based on an external objective assessment, we will give the definition given by specialists from the National Institute of Health P.P. Gorbenko and V.V. Lozhko. Quality of life is understood as a theoretical system consisting of objective conditions of existence and their assessment at the level of society and the individual. In accordance with this definition, the quality of life is assessed not by the subjective satisfaction of the person himself, but by a number of objective indicators by other people who have complete and reliable information and the necessary qualifications for this, i.e., a team of experts. The following can be considered as objective indicators of quality of life:

• clean environment,
• personal and national security,
• political and economic freedoms,
• ensuring the right to work, the opportunity for career growth and increasing professional and intellectual levels,
• ensuring demographic growth of society,
• creation of living conditions,
• ensuring healthcare and improving the medical care system for the population,
• providing food for the population.

All of the above indicators should be considered in accordance with international standards and regulations established by the UN.

The components of quality of life represent a complex system of classification of various indicators. This allows you to analyze the quality of life of the population according to the following constituent criteria:

• quality of population,
• welfare of the population,
• quality of the social sphere,
• quality of ecological niche,
• natural and climatic conditions.

It is possible to highlight more detailed elements of the criteria for the quality of life of the population:

• environmental component;
• life safety;
• political and economic freedoms;
• working life and career opportunities;
• the sphere of developing people's abilities and increasing their professional and intellectual level;
• family life and ensuring the demographic growth of society, solving housing problems, creating a culture of healthy housing;
• increasing the level of health and longevity of the population, improving the system of existing medical care to the population, expanding the list of free care, ensuring its effectiveness and quality, increasing the availability and mass availability of sanatorium-resort and health services to the population;
• providing food to the population in accordance with international standards and regulations established by the UN;
• implementation of a strategy for safe personal development. A more detailed description of individual elements of quality of life can be given using a system of indicators, such as the cost of living, the consumer basket, personal income, and the minimum wage. All of the above indicators are currently used in the system of strategic planning for the development of the national economy.

There are also specific indicators of quality of life. For example, when characterizing the quality of food, one cannot limit itself to assessing it only by nutritional value (calorie content, content in grams of proteins, fats). It is impossible to ignore such characteristics as regularity of nutrition, its variety, and taste. When characterizing the quality of working life, one cannot limit oneself only to indicators of employment, unemployment, length of the working day, week, year, and the level of industrial injuries. It is necessary to assess the compliance with the interests of workers of the content and nature of work, its intensity, relationships within the work collective, etc.

Thus, quality of life is the degree of development and completeness of satisfaction of the entire complex of needs and interests of people, manifested both in various types of activities and in the sense of life itself.

Changes in the quality of life of the Russian population have always been accompanied by differentiation of the socio-economic status of various population groups. Today Russian society is divided into social strata, each of which has its own economic interests and behavior patterns. A layer of people has formed that has a significant influence on many issues of public life, including government social programs, and inequality in the distribution of income and benefits has increased. That is why the quality of life should be understood and formed as a system of objective conditions for the existence, activity and development of a person and society, assessed by the degree of compliance of these conditions, the results of a person’s activity and development with the norms, standards and life values ​​​​accepted in society.

Determining the structure and content of the quality of life category seems important for assessing its level.

Study of the dynamics of indicators of the quality of life of the population in the Russian Federation for the period 2002-2008

To study the quality of life, we will use the indicators most often used in international and national assessments. For convenience, they are combined into the following blocks.

Block 1. Socio-demographic indicators.
Block 2. Socio-economic indicators.
Block 3. Health system indicators.
Block 4. Socio-cultural indicators.
Block 5. Indicators of social and personal security.
Block 6. Social and living indicators.
Block 7. Social and environmental indicators.

Let's look at them in more detail.

The socio-demographic situation in the country largely reflects the quality of life of the population. One of the most important socio-demographic indicators is population size.

As you can see, since 1990, the population of the Russian Federation has been constantly decreasing (Fig. 1). During the period from 2002 to 2008, it decreased by 3,157,900 people, or 2.18%. The reasons for this are seen, first of all, in the excess of mortality over the birth rate, etc.

Analysis of average life expectancy is essential for studying indicators of the quality of life of the population. During the period 2006-2007, life expectancy of the population increased, which is a positive phenomenon (Table 1). It should be noted that the positive trend of increasing life expectancy continues to this day.

Table 1. Life expectancy, number of years

The dynamics of fertility and mortality in Russia are of undoubted interest.

Data indicate that the country is experiencing a process of population depopulation, characterized by an excess of mortality over the birth rate. However, since 2005, the birth rate has steadily increased (Figure 2). It is also worth noting that since 2005, the mortality rate across the country has had a steady downward trend. Unfortunately, population decline continues to this day in Russia. Based on the data presented, we can conclude that the value of this indicator is constantly decreasing.

Rice. 2. Crude birth and death rates (births and deaths per 1,000 population)

The institution of the family is in a difficult situation in the country (Fig. 3), although in recent years some positive trends have been observed, which primarily include an increase in the number of marriages.

Rice. 3. Marriages and divorces, thousand

The situation is somewhat improved by a slight decrease in the number of divorces, but in 2007 this figure increases again. As you can see, the number of marriages exceeds the number of divorces.

Thus, the considered demographic indicators of the quality of life of the population allow us to speak about the insufficiently favorable socio-demographic situation that has developed in the Russian Federation, but, nevertheless, positive trends in recent years should be noted in a number of indicators.

During the study, various statistical data characterizing the socio-economic indicators of the development of the Russian Federation were examined (Table 2).

Table 2. Main indicators of socio-economic development of the Russian Federation

It should be noted that the country is currently experiencing a gradual revival of the economic sphere, stabilization of the socio-economic situation, and a gradual equalization of the main socio-economic indicators of the standard of living of the population, as evidenced by the statistics provided.

One of the general economic indicators of the quality of life of the population is the volume of gross national product per capita. As you can see, the volume of GDP is constantly increasing. For the period under review, this indicator

increased almost 3 times. It should be noted that GDP growth leads to an increase in revenues of the country’s consolidated budget. Also, over the past few years there has been an increase in consolidated budget expenditures. Since 2002, spending has increased by an average of 25%. Thus, the budget surplus in 2007 is 6% of GDP.

The socio-economic development of the country over the past few years has been characterized by an increase in real monetary incomes of the population (Table 3).

Table 3. Population income and socio-economic differentiation

During the period under review, there has been a constant increase in disposable cash income. As you can see, real incomes of the population increase annually, but the growth rate of this indicator remains virtually unchanged. The dynamics of the living wage clearly illustrates the socio-economic situation. At the same time, there are positive trends in changes in the population with monetary incomes, the value of which is below the subsistence level. Since 2002, this figure has decreased by 16.7 million people.

An important indicator characterizing the quality of life of the country's population is the Gini coefficient, which reflects the degree of deviation of the line of actual distribution of total income of the population from the line of their uniform distribution. The value of the Gini coefficient can vary from 0 to 1, and the higher the value of the indicator, the more unevenly income is distributed in society (Table 4).

Table 4. Distribution of total cash income by 20 percent population groups

The data presented indicate an increase in the concentration of income among the wealthiest groups of the population. The indicators under consideration must be supplemented with an analysis of the dynamics of population distribution by average per capita income (Table 5).

Table 5. Distribution of population by average per capita monetary income, %

As can be noted, in the country during the period 2004-2007 there was an increase in the population with incomes above 10 thousand rubles and a decrease in the number of citizens with incomes from 2 thousand to 6 thousand rubles. The population with incomes of 15 thousand rubles and above has increased most significantly. In this regard, we can talk about the presence of certain positive trends in the socio-economic sphere.

One of the important components of the quality of life of the population is indicators of the sphere of labor and employment of the population. Statistical data indicate that the number of economically active population, employed and unemployed citizens has changed with positive trends in recent years (Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. Number of economically active population, thousand people.

As you can see, in the period 2002-2007, the number of citizens employed in the economy changed dynamically and ultimately increased by 4,548 thousand people, or 6.8%. The number of unemployed citizens during the study period decreased by 1,909 thousand people, or by 31%. At the same time, the number of economically active population in the country is increasing. So, over 5 years it increased by 2,639 thousand people, or 3.6%. Thus, we can say that along with the increase in the economically active population, there is a decrease in the number of unemployed citizens, which has a positive effect on the socio-economic situation in the Russian Federation, and consequently on the quality of life of the country’s population.

An analysis of the work of the public employment service allows us to draw conclusions about the low efficiency of solving problems of employment of unemployed citizens in the country (Fig. 5).

Rice. 5. Employment of citizens by state employment service institutions, thousand people.

Thus, in the period 2002-2007, 37,187 thousand people applied to the employment service, of which 24,033 thousand people were employed. Thus, employment services employed on average about 35% of those who applied to them. A way out of a difficult situation may be to develop cooperation with organizations and institutions that have vacancies, use new employment technologies, stimulate the creation of additional jobs, encourage various forms of self-employment, strengthen work on career guidance for youth, etc.

Thus, in Russia in 2002-2007, certain positive changes were observed in the economic sphere: an increase in GDP, an increase in real incomes of the population, a decrease in the unemployment rate, etc.

The study of the health care system involves the study of population morbidity rates for the main classes of diseases (Table 6).

Table 6. Morbidity rate of the population by main classes of diseases (patients diagnosed for the first time in their lives were registered)

An important indicator of poor public health is the number of HIV-infected people. Thus, at the end of 2007, 12,700 cases of the disease were registered in the Russian Federation, which is 32.3% more than in 2006.

The state of development of the healthcare system is also of great importance for assessing the quality of life of the population in the country. Let us dwell on the study of the dynamics of the number of individual healthcare institutions and medical personnel for the period under review (Table 7).

Table 7. Treatment and prevention institutions and medical personnel, at the end of the year

The presented data indicate a decrease in the number of hospital institutions by 34%, and outpatient clinics by 14.5%. At the same time, the country has noted an increase in the capacity of medical outpatient clinics by 3%: in 2002, patient visits per shift amounted to 247.8 people. per 10 thousand population, in 2007 this figure increased to 258.7. During the period 2002-2007, the number of hospital beds decreased by 4.2%. According to experts, given the high workload of hospitals, this is an unacceptable indicator. The number of medical personnel during the period under review increases by 3.6% or 24,900 people.

Thus, the data obtained indicate a rather complex situation related to public health in the Russian Federation.

The “Socio-cultural indicators” block includes indicators characterizing the country’s education and culture. During the study, a quantitative analysis of individual indicators in the education sector was carried out. It is of undoubted interest to consider the dynamics of the number of preschool educational institutions (PTEs) (Table 8).

Table 8. Performance indicators of preschool educational institutions

As you can see, the country is experiencing an annual decrease in the number of preschool educational institutions (by 6.5% over 5 years). There is also a constant increase in the number of preschool children, with only 565 places per 1,000 children. Thus, we can state a decrease in the number of preschool educational institutions with an increase in the number of children in the country.

Let's consider the dynamics of the number of other educational institutions (Fig. 6).

Rice. 6. Number of state and municipal educational institutions at the beginning of the school year, thousand units

During the period 2002-2007, the number of schools and other educational institutions in the country constantly decreased (by 14.2% over 5 years). The number of institutions of primary vocational education, as well as secondary specialized educational institutions, has also decreased over the past few years (by 10.9% over 5 years). At the same time, during the period under review, there was an increase in the number of higher educational institutions by a total of 6.6%. At the same time, the number of state universities has remained almost unchanged; in 5 years, only 3 new universities have appeared in the country. The increase in non-state higher educational institutions was 17.2%. This circumstance influenced the increase in the number of higher education students (Fig. 7). The share of students from non-state higher educational institutions in the total number of students in 2007 was 16.8%.

Rice. 7. Number of students in general and vocational education institutions (at the beginning of the academic year, thousand people)

The study also included an analysis of the number of students in general education institutions. As you can see, in recent years, in general education institutions, as well as institutions of primary and secondary vocational education, there has been a constant decrease in the number of students. The total number decreased by 60.5%. The number of students in higher education institutions, on the contrary, is growing every year.

Overall, over 5 years the growth was 25.4%.

During the study of socio-cultural indicators, an analysis of statistical data on cultural institutions was carried out. The dynamics of the number of different cultural institutions is presented in Table 9.

Table 9. Cultural institutions, at the end of the year

As you can see, there is a gradual increase in such cultural institutions as theaters (by 4%), museums (by 12.7%), and circuses (by 6.2%). Unfortunately, during the period under review, the number of libraries decreased by 6.9% and cultural and leisure institutions by 8.7%. Of interest is the analysis of the number of spectators and visitors to cultural institutions. Thus, the number of visits by the population to theaters decreased in 2004 to 196 people per thousand people (in 2002 it was 207 people), but by 2007 the number of theater visitors increased, reaching 206 visits per 1,000 people. A positive trend in the development of culture in Russia is the increase in such indicators as museum attendance. During the period under review, it grew by 7.3%.

Of no small importance for characterizing objective indicators of the quality of life of the population of the Russian Federation is the analysis of indicators of social and personal security, which involves studying data from the social security system of the population, as well as indicators characterizing offenses committed in the country.

An important area of ​​activity of the social protection system in the Russian Federation is large-scale, systematic work to improve the functioning and expand the network of social service institutions for the population of the Russian Federation. The number of boarding homes for the elderly and disabled is changing (Table 10).

Table 10. Stationary social service institutions for elderly citizens and disabled people

It should be noted that there has been a steady increase in the total number of boarding homes for the elderly and disabled (by 27%). Due to this circumstance, the number of people living in inpatient institutions in the country increases every year. It can be noted that during the period 2002-2007 it increased by 9.6%.

Of no small importance when considering indicators of social security is the study of the number of institutions serving children. Until 2006, the figure increased annually, but by 2007 the number of boarding schools for disabled children sharply decreased by 7 institutions, which also led to a reduction in the number of children living in these institutions.

Also, during the period under review, the number of people on the waiting list for placement in inpatient facilities increased by 31.4%.

The country's social institutions also include social service centers. There are about 2,266 such centers and departments of social assistance at home in the Russian Federation. Since 2003, their number has increased by 16%. Pensioners and disabled people are provided with material, medical, social and domestic assistance, and advisory services from psychologists, lawyers, and pension specialists. Also, in recent years, costs for the implementation of social support measures for certain categories of citizens have been increasing (Fig. 8).

Rice. 8. Expenses for the implementation of social support measures for certain categories of citizens under the obligations of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, million rubles

During the period under review, spending on social support in the country increased by a total of 26.1%.

As you can see, the social security system in the Russian Federation is actively developing. At the same time, the priority areas for further development are: improving the quality management of social services based on state standards and regulation; timely identification of citizens who find themselves in difficult life situations; implementation of comprehensive rehabilitation of families and children, improving their quality of life, resource provision and improvement of the current social service system, etc.

Consideration of social and personal security involves the analysis of data characterizing offenses committed in the country over the past few years (Table 11).

Table 11. Number of registered crimes, thousand

The dynamics of data on the number of various offenses in the country was studied. Thus, there is an increase in the total number of registered offenses by 41.8% over the period 2002-2007, which indicates a deterioration in the crime situation in the country. The number of robberies increased by 76.4%, the number of reported thefts across the country increased by 69.1%, and cases related to fraud more than tripled during the period under review (an increase of 204%). It should be noted that the number of violations related to drug trafficking is growing every year. The maximum value of the number of offenses was noted in 2006, when the number of crimes on almost all counts increased sharply. But still, in the last two years there has been a decrease in the number of offenses by 7%. There is also a downward trend in such articles as murder and attempted murder (by 31.3%), intentional bodily harm (by 19.1%), rape (by 13.6%), as well as violations of 70,000 traffic rules movement (by 55%).

Thus, an analysis of individual indicators characterizing the crime situation in the country allows us to note an increase in the number of crimes such as robberies, robbery, and fraud. Unfortunately, it should be noted that a significant number of crimes registered on the territory of the Russian Federation are committed by minors or with their complicity.

As part of social and living indicators of quality of life, the analysis of indicators characterizing the housing stock is of particular importance (Fig. 9).

Rice. 9. Housing stock and its distribution by type of ownership, million sq. m (total area of ​​residential premises; at the end of the year)

Available data allow us to conclude that there has been a significant increase in the housing stock. Over 5 years, the increase in the total area of ​​the housing stock amounted to 7.3%. Moreover, the volume of housing stock privately owned by citizens increases every year, while the volume of housing stock owned by the state and municipalities is gradually decreasing.

The dynamics of the housing stock area per inhabitant on average is increasing over the period under review (Fig. 10). The provision of one resident of Russia with total housing area increased by 8.6% (from 19.8 m2 in 2002 to 21.5 m2 in 2007), in urban areas by 9.2%, and in rural areas by 7.7% . This is an objective indicator of the increase in the housing stock in the country.

Rice. 10. Total area of ​​residential premises per inhabitant on average (at the end of the year; sq. m)

During the study, an analysis of individual indicators characterizing the state of public utilities was carried out (Table 12).

Table 12. Improvement of the housing stock (at the end of the year; %)

Consideration of the improvement of the housing stock allows us to talk about the positive dynamics of this indicator. Thus, there is an improvement in such criteria as the availability of water supply, sewerage, heating, and provision of hot water supply. The supply of gas and floor-mounted electric stoves during the period under review remained virtually unchanged and remained at the same level. The provision of all the listed communications in the complex increased by 17.3%.

An analysis of indicators characterizing the state and development of public transport in the country was also carried out. An important aspect of the study was the consideration of data on passenger transportation for certain types of public transport (Table 13).

Table 13. Passenger transportation by types of public transport, million people.

Data shows that the volume of passenger transport by public transport is trending downwards. During the period 2001-2006 it decreased by 45.5%. The main decrease in passenger traffic is observed in the intracity category: over five years, the use of bus transport has decreased by 42%; taxi - by 33; tram - to 62; trolleybus - on 64; by metro - at 16; inland water transport - by 27%. This is primarily due to the increase in the number of personal vehicles among the population. At the same time, during the period under review, there was an increase in passenger transportation by sea and air transport - by 100 and 68%, respectively. This can be explained by the increase in consumption of tourism services. The volume of passenger transportation by rail remained almost at the same level (an increase of 0.7%).

In general, an analysis of social and living indicators in the country revealed a number of positive changes, including an increase in the housing stock, an improvement in the housing supply of the population, improvement of housing, an increase in air and sea transportation, as well as an annual increase in the number of car owners in the country. All this allows us to judge the growth of the population’s well-being.

An important role in assessing the quality of life of the population of the Russian Federation is played by consideration of socio-ecological indicators that characterize the impact of economic activities on the state of the environment (Table 14).

Table 14. Main indicators characterizing the impact of economic activities on the environment and natural resources Indicators 2002

Analysis of the presented data allows us to note positive trends. Thus, during the period under review, water intake from natural water bodies decreased by 3.6%, the discharge of contaminated wastewater decreased to 17.2 billion m 3 (by 13.1%), 31.8% more household waste was removed by special transport and twice as much household waste from industrial enterprises. At the same time, there is an increase in the amount of pollutant emissions both from stationary sources (by 5.6%) and from vehicles (by 12.5%). The situation with the removal of liquid waste also seems negative, since this figure decreases every year, and in 2007, 26% less was removed than in 2002.

A more detailed consideration of the problem of emissions of air pollutants allows us to note that a significant part of the emissions consists of substances such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide. The smallest amounts in total emissions are observed for substances such as volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons. It should be noted that during the period under review there is a decrease in emissions of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide; Nitric oxide emissions remain at the same level.

To study the environmental situation in the country, it is important to consider indicators characterizing measures to reduce the negative impact of human economic activity on the state of the environment (Fig. 11).

Rice. eleven. Commissioning of capacities to protect water resources and atmospheric air from pollution

Data analysis shows that every year the commissioning of capacities to protect water resources from pollution is increasing. It should also be noted that the capacity to protect atmospheric air, that is, installations for capturing and neutralizing harmful substances from exhaust gases, tends to decrease.

In conclusion, it should be said that the analysis of indicators characterizing the level of organization of the living space of the population of the Russian Federation, carried out during the study, generally revealed the presence of positive dynamics in the quality of life of the population, which is a consequence of the revival of economic activity and stabilization of the social situation in the country.

Existing approaches to assessing the quality of life of the population in Russia

The characteristics of the quality of life proposed by various authors take into account in one form or another the level, conditions and quality of life of the population.

One approach to assessing the quality of life of the population is the use of the Human Development Index (HDI). It is calculated based on three indicators:

• longevity, measured as the average life expectancy at birth;
• achieved level of education, measured as a combination of the adult literacy index and the aggregate enrollment ratio index;
• standard of living, measured based on real GDP per capita in US dollars at purchasing power parity.

Calculations show that the HDI in Russia in 2008 was 0.806. According to this index, Russia ranks 73rd, which is a fairly high figure, but at the same time inferior to Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The index began to fall in the early 90s due to a decline in GDP and an increase in the mortality rate. In 1992, Russia ranked 52nd, in 1995 - 114th, in 2004 - 57th, in 2005 - 62nd, in 2006 - 65th, in 2007 - 67th. In general, modern Russia is characterized by a very low life expectancy and a declining level of education.

There are HDI data calculated for all countries of the world, but table 15 shows the countries with the highest and lowest values ​​of the indicator.

Table 15. Countries with the highest and lowest HDI scores

A 2008 report shows that the HDI is rising in all countries of the world, with the exception of some countries in the post-Soviet space and Africa.

The HDI also varies greatly across Russian regions. According to the Independent Institute for Social Policy, in 2008, the highest HDI value among Russian regions was in the city of Moscow - 0.907 (which is comparable with countries such as Germany, Italy, etc.), the lowest index in the Republic of Tuva - 0.691 (comparable with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and etc.). Most Russian regions belong to the category with an index value of 0.750 - 0.799, which is quite comparable with countries such as Kazakhstan, Ukraine, etc.

Due to the fact that in Russia there is no system of regular and representative quality of life surveys for all regions, necessary to obtain subjective assessments, the only possible approach to assessing the quality of life of the population is an objective (statistical) approach based on the use of regularly collected and available data. Within the framework of this approach, the study of quality of life is carried out on the basis of an integral indicator - the quality of life index.

The quality of life index presented below was calculated by employees of the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University by order of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation. The index is intended for an integral assessment of the priority components of the quality of life in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and monitoring the social development of regions. Priorities in quality of life assessments were chosen taking into account the most pressing problems of the transition period. If in Soviet times differences were largely determined by living conditions (availability and provision of basic services, favorable living conditions in the region), then in modern conditions problems associated with income level and its differentiation, employment, and health of the population (especially children) have come to the fore. ) etc. These components are included in the “crisis” quality of life index, developed for an integral assessment of regional differences in the most problematic aspects of quality of life. Using such an index, it is possible to monitor and expressly diagnose the social situation in the regions.

To determine the quality of life index, statistical data for 2007 was collected and analyzed for the seven largest Russian cities - the capitals of the federal districts of the Russian Federation (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Khabarovsk). Calculations of the “crisis” index confirm significant differences between these regions (Fig. 12).

To the greatest extent, the index depends on the standard of living, so the leaders are dominated by the most economically developed subjects of the Russian Federation - Moscow, St. Petersburg. Next comes a large metallurgical center - Yekaterinburg, then Nizhny Novgorod, the leading role in which belongs to enterprises in the mechanical engineering and metalworking industries. Fifth place is occupied by Rostov-on-Don, the largest manufacturer of modern agricultural machinery. Next comes Khabarovsk, the center of the Far East. And in last place is Novosibirsk, the third most populous city in Russia, on whose territory dozens of research institutes are located.

Let's conduct a more detailed analysis of the components of quality of life.

The first of the component indicators is the ratio of per capita cash income to the subsistence level. The higher this indicator, the better. 7 was chosen as the maximum value of the indicator. The indicator is closest to this value in Moscow, where the average per capita wage is 6.1 times higher than the cost of living. Novosibirsk occupies the last position, since wages there are only twice the cost of living.

The share of the population with incomes above the subsistence level in Moscow is 87.4% (100% was taken as the maximum value), and in Novosibirsk it is 81.8%, i.e. about 20% of the population is below the poverty line.

Moscow leads in terms of employment levels. Of the maximum 100%, 99.2% of the working population is employed in the capital. In this group, the lowest level of employment is observed in Rostov-on-Don, where only 93.2% of the population is involved in the economy.

Health indicators also influence the result. For example, Moscow and St. Petersburg have low infant mortality rates of 7 and 5 deaths per 1,000 population, respectively, as well as higher life expectancies of 72.5 and 70 years, respectively. The highest infant mortality rate is recorded in Rostov-on-Don, it is equal to 12.5 cases per 1,000 population, and the lowest life expectancy is in Khabarovsk, where the average life expectancy is 64.7 years.

The comparative analysis carried out allowed us to summarize the results as follows. Moscow and St. Petersburg are cities of federal significance, which are the largest political, economic, financial, transport and cultural centers of the country. All this determines the high places in the ranking. Using the example of Yekaterinburg, we can see how the availability of reserves of raw materials and the possibility of their export can positively influence regional development. In regions that do not have rich natural resources, but in which at the initial stage an active economic policy was pursued aimed at developing production and attracting investment, the average value of the quality of life index was achieved. These are the cities of the Volga and Southern Federal Districts, as well as the Far East. Novosibirsk ranks last in the ranking. There is no mining industry in this city, but it is a major scientific center not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Thus, the results of the study made it possible to assess the influence of the economic and geographical position of the region on the level of regional development, as well as to identify the most significant factors influencing quality of life indicators.

Results of a study of the quality of life of the population in the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation

As noted earlier, an equally important component of assessing the quality of life of the population is the subjective assessment by individuals of their income, employment, level of education, level of protection from crime, degree of confidence in the future, etc. In this regard, when assessing the quality of life, it is impossible limited only to objective indicators, research is needed that reveals the subjective parameters of quality of life.

To analyze subjective indicators of the quality of life of the population, a sociological study was conducted to determine the components of the quality of life and, in accordance with the selected components, the degree of people's satisfaction with the quality of life. The basis of the study was a survey of respondents, which was carried out using a questionnaire. The volume of the general population was 165 people from various subjects of the Central Federal District (Moscow, Moscow region, Kostroma region, Tula region, Lipetsk region, etc.).

The social composition of those participating in the survey is as follows: 8% - population under working age; 80% - working age population; 12% - the population is over working age.

In the questionnaire, the questions were grouped into blocks: economic indicators, physical indicators, psychological indicators, sociocultural indicators, indicators of social security.

The “Economic Indicators” block contained questions characterizing the production and economic component of the respondents’ lives.

Table 16. Assessment of material wealth

The results of the data analysis show that a significant number of respondents assess their financial situation as average. The second most popular option was “secure, prosperous.” 9% of respondents live poorly, and do not deny themselves anything, while having significant financial savings, 7.7%, which is a good indicator. 2.3% live very poorly, i.e. 3-4 people out of 165.

The attitude of respondents towards changes in their financial situation recently was also revealed. To the question “How was life for you a year or two ago?”, respondents spoke as follows: in the main - better - 43.1%; also, without significant changes - 30%; much better - 21.9%; worse - 5%. It can be noted that 65% of respondents report positive changes in their lives, while only 5% report negative changes.

Taking into account the need to assess respondents’ opinions regarding hopes for a prosperous life, they were asked the question “What are your assumptions regarding changes in the level of your material wealth in the near future?” The answers are as follows: yes, I hope to get rich in the near future - 37.3%; I doubt that this is possible - 21.4%; I don’t hope - 17.8%; I am already rich and will be even richer - 13.6%; found it difficult to answer - 9.9%.

The “Economic Indicators” block also involved studying issues related to how concerned respondents are about economic problems. So, to the question “Do you feel a threat to yourself and your family?” - respondents answered as follows (Table 17).

Table 17. Respondents' assessment of threats to themselves and their family

The results obtained suggest that the threat of housing shortage and other housing problems worry the population most of all (20.3% of respondents). Almost the same percentage of respondents put the problems of hunger and poverty, as well as the threat of dismissal from work and unemployment, in second place. Next come problems related to health (14.4%), disasters and the environment (12.2%), and a decrease in the quality of education in the country (11.2%). Rounding out the row are political problems and threats of interethnic conflicts (6.7%).

Table 18. Respondent satisfaction rating, %

As the survey data show, more than a third of the population demonstrated fairly high satisfaction with the situation according to all of the above criteria, which is a good indicator.

As part of the survey in the “Physical indicators” block, respondents were asked the question: “Rate your satisfaction with your health on a five-point scale.” The health results are as follows: 15% of respondents feel great; good - 26.8%; satisfactory - 28.1%; 15.1% are dissatisfied with their health, and 9% have very poor health. As you can see, the majority of respondents (70%) note a fairly high degree of satisfaction with their health.

This block also included a question about how concerned respondents are about various problems related to health and medical care. Thus, when answering the question, the following results were obtained (Table 19).

Table 19. Threats related to health and medical care

Among the health-related threats, among the respondents who took part in the study, the direct threat of deterioration of health came first. In second place is the threat of deterioration in medical care. The threat of alcoholism, drug addiction and substance abuse is the least of the respondents' concerns. This is due to the fact that, according to respondents, these diseases are largely socio-psychological in nature and controllable by humans.

To the question “Would you like to change certain aspects of your life?” the following answers were received (Table 20). The results suggest that a third of respondents would like to change their place of work, and another third of respondents would like to change their place of residence. 18.7% of respondents show a desire to change their profession.

Table 20. Desire to change certain aspects in your life

The third block, allocated for the analysis of the population’s opinions regarding the quality of their life, was the “Psychological indicators” block. It included questions related to assessing the psychological subjectivity of respondents.

Of interest are data characterizing the general mood of respondents. To the question “In what words could you define your mood lately?”, respondents answered as follows: an optimistic mood prevails among 6.3% of respondents; mostly optimistic - 16.7%; the majority of respondents (52.7%) experience optimism and pessimism at the same time; tension and irritation - 6%; indifference, apathy and hopelessness - 5%; fear, pessimism and melancholy - 4%.

Table 21. Life satisfaction assessment

The results obtained show that 40.6% of respondents are satisfied with their lives in general, and 48.7% rate their quality of life highly.

Regarding the question “With what dominant feeling do you think about the future?” The respondents' answers were distributed as follows: I think with confidence - 23.3%; rather with confidence - 35.1%; rather with uncertainty - 22.9%; with anxiety - 17.3%.

As you can see, the main feelings that arise when thinking about the future are confidence in the future. At the same time, feelings of anxiety arise in 17.3%.

During the study, respondents were asked questions aimed at studying the quality of life indicators included in the “Sociocultural Indicators” block.

To assess the indicators of this block, respondents were asked the question “Which of the problems in Russia is the most acute and requires urgent intervention and solution?”

It is noteworthy that 32.7% of respondents answered that this is a problem of growing lack of spirituality and moral decay of people. This answer is the second most popular after the answer “problems of increasing crime, aggression and violence,” which was chosen by 44.1% of respondents. According to 7.7% of respondents, the problems of the Russian people, their culture, and sovereignty are today acute problems that require solutions. Also noted were such answers as “the underdevelopment of the legislative framework in Russia”, “problems of unemployment”, “weak organization of social protection”, etc. (total 15.5%).

The block also included a question to determine how concerned respondents are about sociocultural issues. Thus, to the question “Do you feel threats in sociocultural terms for yourself and your family?” respondents answered as follows: concerned about the threat of a decline in the level and quality of education, the lack of opportunity to provide themselves and their children with a decent education - 11.2%; exacerbation of interethnic or interethnic conflicts - 4.1%.

Consideration of the block “Indicators of social protection” is due to the fact that the level of social protection in a country largely reflects the quality of life of its population.

When answering the question “What forms of social assistance do you need,” respondents had to mark the 2-3 most significant ones. The results are presented as follows: human rights assistance - 41%; informational - 23.4%; consulting - 21.9%. Also mentioned were home help - 7.1%; assistance in vocational training - 3.6%; rehabilitation assistance - 3%.

It was interesting to consider the results obtained when answering the question “Who usually helps you solve life problems?” Family comes first - 81.3%; friends - 10.6%; sponsors - 2%; distant relatives - 1.8%; social service workers - 1.8%. These data allow us to note that the dominant role in solving life problems of respondents is occupied by family and friends. Only a small percentage of respondents involved medical and social workers in solving personal problems.

Thus, the study revealed that the study of the subjective assessment of the quality of life of the population allows us to talk about the predominance of positive assessments. The survey data also confirmed the presence of positive changes in the quality of life of the population over the past few years. Thus, there is an improvement in the financial situation of the population, which is expressed in an increase in real cash income; reducing the number of poor people; an increase in the level of employment of the population with a constant decrease in the unemployment rate, etc. The development of higher educational institutions is observed; increased population satisfaction with the quality of education; expanding the accessibility of individual cultural institutions. In the field of social and personal security, there is a dynamic increase in the quality of social services, as well as a decrease in the growth of crime (in certain areas). In the social and domestic sphere, one can note an increase in the area of ​​dwellings per inhabitant on average, and positive dynamics in the improvement of the housing stock and home areas.

However, along with positive changes in the quality of life of the population of the Russian Federation, a number of negative factors are also noted. In the country's economy, there is an increase in the concentration of income in certain groups of wealthy citizens, and problems of housing affordability for certain categories of citizens remain. In the field of public health, there is an increase in the incidence of almost all groups of diseases.

The research results also allow us to conclude that in order to identify the dynamics of changes in the quality of life of the population of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to monitor the main indicators of the quality of life, which will increase the efficiency of choosing mechanisms to ensure and improve it. One of the effective tools for such monitoring can be a sociological analysis of the quality of life of the population. It allows us to identify a set of objective and subjective indicators that characterize changes in the vital forces of the population, its living space, as well as evaluate the mechanisms for ensuring quality of life in terms of their effectiveness.

This study was organized and conducted in 2009 with the direct participation of I.P. Workshops.

As noted above, the main indicators of the quality of life of the population are: vital statistics; indicators of migration movement of the population; labor force indicators; employment and unemployment indicators; indicators of education level.

Natural population movement - the processes of fertility and mortality, which ensure natural population growth, as well as the processes of marriage and divorce.

The initial characteristics of this indicator are absolute values. The absolute numbers of births and deaths, marriages and divorces are obtained based on current accounting data. This group of indicators includes:

• · number of births, (N);
• · number of deaths (M);
• · natural population growth (De);
• · number of registered marriages (Sbr);
• · number of registered divorces (Sр).

If the number of births exceeds the number of deaths, natural increase is positive, and if the number of deaths is greater than the number of births, natural increase is negative.

Migration (mechanical) movement is the movement of the population across the borders of the country and its territorial divisions, associated with a change of place of residence for a more or less long period.

Absolute indicators of the migration movement of the population are the number of arrivals (immigrants) in a given locality (Spr) and the number of departures (emigrants, Svyb).

Absolute indicators of population movement are interval indicators; they are calculated for certain periods of time (per month, per year, etc.).

To characterize population reproduction and migration, a number of relative intensity indicators are calculated. These are demographic rates: birth rate, death rate, natural increase, marriage rate, divorce rate, arrival, departure, migration and general increase. They are calculated as the ratio of the corresponding number of demographic events (number of births, deaths, natural increase, number of registered marriages, divorces, number of arrivals, departures, migration and general absolute population growth) during the calendar period to the corresponding average population.

The natural increase rate can also be obtained as the difference between the total birth and death rates, and the migration increase rate as the difference between the total arrival and departure rates. The coefficient of total growth, in turn, can be calculated as the sum of the coefficients of natural and migration growth.

Demographic coefficients are calculated in ppm, i.e. per 1000 people, and are designated “‰”. To make them comparable over time, they are calculated per year.

The average annual size of the total resident population (S) is defined as the population at the beginning and end of the year divided by 2.

Thus, the average annual population of the Republic of Belarus in 2011 was 9490.5 thousand people, and the rate of natural increase was -25.9 thousand people.

The indicator of average life expectancy (e0x) is calculated by dividing the tabulated number of person-years that will be lived by those who have lived to a given age to the limit (Tx), by the tabulated number of people who have survived to this age (lx):

level of quality of life population

e0x = Tx / lx (2.1)

This indicator is one of the most important general indicators of the vitality of the population.

Labor resources are the part of the country's population that has the necessary physical development, health, education, culture, qualifications and professional knowledge to work in the national economy.

Labor resources include the following categories:

• · population of working age;
• · working population of working age;
• · labor resources.

To study and analyze them, a system of indicators is used that characterizes the number of labor resources, their composition according to various criteria, load factors, replacement rates, natural and migration movements, etc.

In the Republic of Belarus, in accordance with the Constitution, the age considered to be able to work is: for men - 16-59 years and for women - 16-54 years. In accordance with this age criterion, the entire population is divided into the population aged:

• · younger than working age (premarital age);
• · able-bodied (working age);
• · older than working age (after working age).

According to the definition of the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of the Republic of Belarus, the economically active population is the part of the population that provides its labor for the production of goods and services. The economically active population includes the entire employed population, the unemployed and women on maternity leave for up to 3 years.

The Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of the Republic of Belarus includes persons employed in the economy as persons working in institutions and organizations of all forms of ownership, including small businesses; in cooperatives of all types; on farms; those engaged in entrepreneurial activities, as well as the self-employed population.

Thus, the average annual population employed in the economy in 2011 was 4654.5 thousand people.

Unemployment is a socio-economic phenomenon in which part of the labor force (economically active population) is not engaged in the production of goods and services. In real economic life, unemployment appears as an excess of labor supply over demand for it. In accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus on employment, the unemployed are considered to be able-bodied citizens of working age, permanently residing in the territory of the republic, unemployed, not engaged in entrepreneurial activities, not studying in full-time educational institutions, not undergoing military service and registered with the state employment service.

A general indicator characterizing the level of official registered unemployment is the unemployment rate (level), which is calculated as the ratio of the number of unemployed to the number of economically active population and expressed as a percentage.

In 2011, the unemployment rate in the Republic of Belarus was 0.6% compared to 1.5% in 2005. Thus, the unemployment rate (level) decreased by 60.0%

0.6% : 1.5% = 0.4 or 40.0% (see Appendix A).

Important qualitative characteristics of the population are indicators of educational level. In this regard, the composition of the population in terms of literacy and level of education is studied. The degree of literacy is characterized by the literacy rate, which is calculated as the ratio of the number of people who can read or write in any language, usually aged 9-49 years, to the entire population at the same age. This figure in our republic is close to 100%, i.e. Almost complete literacy has been achieved in the republic.

The following levels of education are distinguished in the Republic of Belarus:

• · higher professional (higher);
• · secondary vocational (secondary special);
• · primary vocational (vocational and technical);
• · average general;
• · basic general (incomplete secondary);
• · initial general;
• · illiterate.

To study the educational composition of the population over 15 years of age, absolute and relative values ​​of the structure (shares) and coordination are calculated both for the republic as a whole, and for the urban and rural population, by gender, by individual industries, etc. The main indicators of education, as well as the number students in institutions providing specialized secondary and higher education are shown in Appendices B and C.

Standard of living is a socio-economic characteristic of the degree to which the physical, spiritual and social needs of people are met. It is determined, on the one hand, by the degree of development of people’s needs themselves, and on the other, by the quantity and quality of life’s goods and services used to satisfy them. Among the personal needs of people there are:

1) material. These include needs for food, clothing, housing, treatment, transportation, etc.;

2) spiritual. These include needs satisfied by institutions of science, culture, art, education, and child care;

3) social. These include the needs to ensure old age, to increase free time, to equality between men and women, to freedom and universality of labor, to the unity of fundamental public interests.

Living standards can be assessed on a global scale; for the country as a whole (taking into account the size of its national wealth); in relation to certain regions, social and demographic groups and segments of the population, and individuals.

Standard of living in a broad sense characterized by a set of living conditions of people: real income of the population, the level of consumption of food and non-food products, the level of wages and payments from public consumption funds, working conditions, duration of working and free time, housing conditions, the development of education systems, health care, culture, the state of the environment and etc.

Standard of living in the narrow sense is the amount of real income. Knowing their sizes, one can judge many aspects of a person’s life. The quality of food, living conditions, complete recreation, and even beliefs depend on the amount of real income. The standard of living of a family depends on the income level of family members and its composition.

Distinguish four levels of living of the population:

prosperity - the use of benefits that creates opportunities for the comprehensive development of a person;

normal level – rational consumption according to scientifically based standards, ensuring the complete restoration of a person’s intellectual and physical strength;

poverty – consumption of goods that only allows one to maintain working capacity (the lowest limit of the reproduction of labor resources);

Poverty is the consumption of the minimum acceptable set of goods and services according to biological criteria to maintain human viability.

There are different definitions of poverty. According to the UN concept, poverty – a state of prolonged forced absence of the necessary resources to ensure a satisfactory lifestyle. Currently, poverty is understood not only as a lack of money, but also as a limitation in the ability to realize a person’s potential due to the lack of decent work, comfortable housing, and access to adequate education and healthcare.

Poor is considered to be someone who has an income below the poverty line. Poverty threshold - this is the amount of money officially established as the minimum income with which an individual or family is able to purchase food, clothing and housing. The poverty threshold depends on the economic level of development of the country: in developed countries it is higher, in developing countries it is lower. The lower the level of requirements, the fewer people fall below the poverty line, and vice versa.

There are absolute and relative concepts of poverty.

Under absolute poverty is understood as a condition in which a person cannot satisfy even the basic needs for food, housing, clothing, warmth with his income, or can only satisfy the minimum needs that ensure biological survival. The quantitative criterion is the poverty threshold. In Eastern Europe and the CIS countries, in most cases, the absolute poverty line is used, determined on the basis minimum consumer basket, the content of which varies by country. The World Bank uses 1 (minimum standard of living) or 2 (middle income per capita poverty line) US dollars per day at purchasing power parity (PPP) as absolute poverty thresholds. PPP is a price index that characterizes the relationship between two (or several) currencies according to their purchasing power for a certain set of goods and services. In 2001, 1.1 billion people. lived on less than $1 a day, less than $2 a day - more than half the population of developing countries (or 2.7 billion people).

Relative poverty assumes the possibility of satisfying physiological needs, but the presence of problems in the sphere of social or political relations, recreation, etc. In the concept of relative poverty, a certain ratio between the lowest income and the size of the average (median) income is taken as the poverty line. Persons whose incomes in relation to the average (median) level are below the established ratio are classified as poor. Thus, in the USA, a family is considered poor if it spends more than one third of its income on food.

The boundaries of absolute and relative poverty do not coincide. Absolute poverty may be eliminated in a country, but relative poverty will remain. Inequality is inevitable in developed societies. Relative poverty persists even as living standards for all segments of society improve.

To assess poverty the following are used indicators:

1. The income gap of poor households is the amount of money needed to raise the income of poor households to the poverty line. The indicator is used to assess the cost of social support measures and is calculated for different types of households, since each household has its own poverty line due to the unequal composition and combination of age and gender characteristics of its members;

2. The low income gap is the ratio of the income deficit to the poverty line (the subsistence level). The indicator is calculated as a percentage and is used for chronological and territorial comparisons. The product of the low income gap and the number of poor people shows the amount of social transfers needed to end absolute poverty;

3. The FGT index (Foster-Greer-Thorbecke) is one of the synthetic poverty indices that allows you to give its multidimensional assessment:

where Y i is per capita income;

Z – the cost of living (poverty line);

N is the size of a separate socio-demographic group or the population as a whole;

n – number of poor;

Q – index degree.

Three index options are calculated. The zero degree index (Q=0), or poverty coefficient, determines the share of the population with incomes below the subsistence level; The indicator shows only the prevalence of poverty, but does not allow us to determine how much the income (expenditure or consumption) of the poor is below the poverty line. The index of the first degree (Q=1) is the average amount of missing income (as a percentage of the subsistence minimum), that is, the income that each poor person needs to pay extra in order to overcome poverty, this is an indicator of the severity of poverty. The index of the second degree (Q=2) reflects the depth of poverty: this index is very sensitive to the share of the poorest in the total population of the poor, since here the amount of individual missing income is squared. Indicators of the depth of poverty (degree of impoverishment) and the severity of poverty characterize not only the spread of poverty, but also the scarcity of the material condition of this part of the population;

4. The poverty level (poverty ratio, or poverty scale) is the proportion of the poor in the total population;

5. Synthetic poverty indicator (Sen-index):

, (16.8)

where S – Sen-index;

L – share of the poor population;

N – period of low income;

– average income of poor households;

P – poverty line;

G p – Gini coefficient for poor households.

The Sen index is a weighted sum of the income deficits of households classified as poor. The indicator assesses the impact on poverty of such factors as the level of lack of material resources of the poor, the degree of stratification of the poor by income and the distribution of this phenomenon, and varies from 0 to 1. When S = 0, there is not a single household in the poor group or the poor have equal shares of income. When S = 1, all households are included in the poor group or all income of poor families belongs to one household.

All poor or distressed countries are characterized by the so-called “ vicious circle of poverty " Since the income of the population in these countries is very low, people only have enough money to meet their most basic needs. Therefore, they have no money left for savings and capital accumulation. Without savings there is no investment. And where there is no investment in high technology, labor productivity will remain extremely low. Low productivity of social labor, in turn, leads to low income levels and the economic backwardness of the country.

Living standard indicators are divided into into general and private, economic and socio-demographic, objective and subjective, cost and natural, quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative indicators of living standards show the volume of consumption of material goods and services. Quality indicators reflect the qualitative side of the well-being of the population (level of education, qualifications, structure of consumption of goods, services, food, provision of durable goods).

TO cost indicators of living standards include all indicators in monetary form (volume of services, transportation, trade turnover, cash deposits and savings, etc.). Natural indicators have natural units of measurement (kg, pcs., sq.m., cubic meters, etc.) - provision of housing, property, cultural goods, consumption of food, energy.

ABOUT general indicators reflect the overall achievements of the country's socio-economic development. These are the size (per capita) of national income, the consumption fund (products of economic sectors that go directly to consumer purposes), etc. Particular indicators are determined by the level of development of society, but have greater detail and are specified for individual population groups, territories, etc. (level of consumption of food and other goods and services; provision of housing and amenities; level of socio-cultural services; working conditions; social security; conditions for raising children).

Dividing standard of living indicators into objective And subjective is associated with the characteristics of changes in people’s lives: the former have an objective (technical, economic, etc.) basis, the latter have a subjective opinion, a subjective assessment of satisfaction with income, work, family relationships, and the lifestyle of individuals and population groups. The subjective assessment is reflected in the concept of quality of life.

Economic indicators of living standards give an idea of ​​the level of economic development of society and the well-being of each person (employment, nominal and real incomes) and are manifested in the size and differentiation of incomes of the population. Socio-demographic indicators characterize the professional, qualification and age-sex composition of the population, the physical reproduction of the workforce and are related to the development of the social sphere of the economy (changes in population, life expectancy).

To compare living standards in international comparisons, indicators such as:

1.Value of per capita GDP consumption at purchasing power parity (PPP). In 2001, according to this indicator, the Republic of Belarus occupied first place among the CIS countries. In comparison, the per capita personal consumption fund of Russia according to PPP was 75.3%, Ukraine - 50.8, Kazakhstan - 79.4, Uzbekistan - 87.4, Kyrgyzstan - 37.0, Tajikistan - 21.1%. Among countries with developed market economies, the first three places are occupied by the USA, Switzerland and the UK. The per capita personal consumption fund in these countries exceeds that of the Republic of Belarus by 5.1, 4.2 and 3.4 times, respectively.

2. Average monthly salary taking into account the PPP of national currencies. Thus, in 2001, its level compared to the Republic of Belarus was 84.0% in Russia, 103.1% in Kazakhstan, and 66.0% in Ukraine.

3. The Human Development Index (HDI), or the Human Development Index (HDI), is the arithmetic average of three indices (the country level is correlated with the highest levels of the corresponding indicators):

1) GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (maximum level – 40,000 US dollars);

2) expected life expectancy at birth (considered equal to 85 years);

3) level of education (characterized by adult literacy and education coverage at all levels at 100%).

The index value varies from 0 to 1. If the HDI (HDI) is less than 0.5, the country belongs to the group of countries with a low level of development; from 0.5 to 0.8 – with average; from 0.8 to 1.0 – with a high level of development. According to UNDP estimates in 1997, the first three places for this indicator were occupied by Canada, Norway and the USA. Russia was in 71st place, Lithuania – 62nd, Belarus – 60th, Estonia – 54th.

The system of indicators of living standards, developed by the UN in 1978, includes 12 main groups of indicators: 1) fertility, mortality and other demographic characteristics of the population; 2) sanitary and hygienic living conditions; 3) consumption of food products; 4) living conditions; 5) education and culture; 6) working conditions and employment; 7) income and expenses of the population; 8) cost of living and consumer prices; 9) vehicles; 10) organization of recreation; 11) social security; 12) personal freedom.

In Belarus, the main socio-economic indicators of living standards are nominal and real income per capita, nominal and real accrued average monthly wage, average and real monthly pension.

Along with the concept of “standard of living,” the key to understanding the development paths of any society is the concept of “quality of life.” The quality of life is an assessment of the totality of conditions of social, mental and physical well-being as understood by an individual or group of people. The quality of life of the population of a particular state is determined by economic, social, demographic, environmental, geographical, political and moral factors.

Towards objective factors may include: food consumption, provision of goods and services, housing conditions, level of employment, education, social security, etc.

Among the subjective factors distinguish: a person’s satisfaction with work and living conditions, social status, financial situation, etc. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, characterizing the quality of life, identifies eight main aspects of human life: health, development through education, employment and quality of working life, leisure and recreation, the state of the consumer market for goods and services, the environment, personal safety, social opportunities and social activity.

The quality of life is also determined by the level of physical and mental health, cultural and intellectual potential. It depends on the amount of free time, expenses on services, recreation, cultural leisure, tourism and travel. One of the indicators of quality of life is the well-being of the family, in the formation of which psychosocial and spiritual and moral aspects play an important role. The level of public awareness and availability of information, and the degree of civil and political freedoms have an important impact on the quality of life.

The standard of living appears in inextricable unity with the way of life of people. Lifestyle is a socio-economic category that expresses the type, way of life of people (society, social class, individual) in the national and global community. Lifestyle covers various aspects of human life:

Ø labor, forms of its social organization;

Ø everyday life, forms of using free time;

Ø participation in political and public life;

Ø forms of satisfying material and spiritual needs;

Ø rules and norms of human behavior that have become part of everyday practice.

Therefore, the way of life is affected not only by economic relations, but also by the socio-political system, culture and worldview of people in one or another formation, at one or another stage of social growth. In turn, lifestyle has an active influence on economic and socio-political processes in society.

The concepts of lifestyle and standard of living are interrelated, but are not identical. For example, indicators of living standards can also characterize lifestyle. However, the standard of living is only one of the conditions for the formation of a lifestyle and actively influences people’s livelihoods. At the same time, with the same standard of living, the lifestyle can differ significantly.

Quality of life is the most important social category, which characterizes the structure of human needs and the possibility of satisfying them.

Some researchers, when defining the concept of “quality of life,” focus much attention on the economic side, the material security of life of the population. There is also an opposite point of view, according to which the quality of life is the most integrated social indicator.

Quality of life of the population- this is the degree of satisfaction of material, spiritual and social.

A person suffers from a low quality of life and experiences satisfaction from a high quality of life, regardless of the area in work, business and personal life. Therefore, quality is constantly necessary for a person. A person himself strives to improve the quality of life - he gets an education, works at work, strives to move up the career ladder, and makes every effort to achieve recognition in society.

The main indicators of the quality of life of the population are:

• (average per capita nominal and real incomes, indicators of income differentiation, nominal and real accrued average wages, average and real amounts of assigned pensions, the cost of living and the share of the population with incomes below the subsistence level, minimum wages and pensions, etc.);
• quality nutrition(calorie content, composition of products);
• quality and fashion clothes;

• comfort dwellings(total area of ​​occupied housing per inhabitant);
• quality (number of hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants);
• quality social services(rest and);
• quality (number of universities and secondary specialized educational institutions, proportion of students in the population);
• quality (publishing books, brochures, magazines);
• quality of service sector;
• quality environment, leisure structure;
• (indicators of life expectancy, mortality, marriage rate, divorce rate);
• security (number of registered crimes).

System of indicators of the quality of life of the population

Population income:

• final consumption expenditures;
• average per capita cash income;
• income from labor and economic activities of households;
• share of deposits in household expenses;
• purchase of currency;
• purchase of securities;
• real estate;
• land for personal use;
• availability of passenger cars for 100 families;
• household disposable resources;
• minimum wage;
• minimum pension;
• minimum consumer budget;
• decile differentiation coefficient;
• fund ratio;
• income concentration coefficient (Gini coefficient);
• ratio of shares of food expenditures for different quantile groups of the population;

The cost of living:

• price indices for consumer goods;
• the cost of all types of services, including household, housing and communal services and social sector services;
• living wage;

Population consumption:

• expenses and savings;
• consumption of staple foods;
• energy and nutritional value of products;

Basic integral indicators of population life:

• ratio of income and expenses;
• the ratio of average per capita income to the cost of living;
• the amount of the conditionally free part of disposable income;
• Poverty level:
• poverty line;
• population with incomes below the subsistence level;

Providing and covering the population with infrastructure facilities and technical means of the sectoral social sphere:

• number of consumer services enterprises;
• number of educational institutions;
• number of students;
• number of medical personnel;
• number of cultural and recreational institutions;

Demographic parameters:

• permanent population size;
• gender and age composition of the population;
• total fertility rate;
• life expectancy at birth;
• crude mortality rate;
• marriage rate;
• number of households;

Statistics of the standard of living of the population

- represents an economic category. This is the level of provision of the population with necessary material goods and services.

The standard of living is the level of well-being of the population, consumption of goods and services, a set of conditions and indicators that characterize the extent to which people’s basic life needs are satisfied.

At present, when the economic systems of countries are subject to deformation and modification, the main goal remains implementation of the principle of social orientation of the market economy by improving the standard of living of the population.

System of statistical indicators of the standard of living of the population

As main comprehensive characteristics of the standard of living of the population currently used (HDI), calculated as the integral of three components: life expectancy at birth, achieved level of education.

To compare living standards in different countries, the following indicators are also used in world practice:

• Volume
• Consumption structure
• Life expectancy at birth
• Infant death rate

The agreed standard of living of citizens of the Russian Federation is determined by the following main indicators:

• volume of gross domestic product per capita;
• volume of production of essential goods;
• inflation rate;
• unemployment rate;
• the amount of real income per capita;
• the population's ability to invest in themselves and the economy;
• the ratio of the cost of living and the minimum wage;
• the number of citizens with incomes below the subsistence level;
• share of government spending on education, culture, health care and social security;
• the ratio of the average pension to the cost of living;
• human life expectancy;
• the ratio of birth rate and death rate of the population;
• volume of retail turnover;
• deviation of the state of the environment from standards.

Objectives of statistics of living standards of the population

The main objectives of statistics on the standard of living of the population are: the study of the actual well-being of the population, as well as the factors that determine the living conditions of the country's citizens in accordance with economic growth; measuring the degree of satisfaction of needs for material goods and services in relation to social conditions and production development.

Particular attention should be paid to the task of studying the patterns of formation and regional-dynamic trends in the standard of living of the country's population as a whole, as well as in the context of individual socio-demographic groups of the population and types of households.

The basis for constructing a system of indicators and solving these problems are materials from macroeconomic statistics, demographic statistics, labor statistics, trade statistics, and price statistics. A significant amount of information collected is based on data from financial and accounting reports, the state tax service, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, etc., as well as on materials from special surveys, censuses, and surveys.

Main sources of information are the balance of monetary income and expenditure of the population and sample surveys of households.

The balance of monetary income and expenditure of the population is built at the federal and regional levels and is the basis for constructing macroeconomic indicators. It reflects the volume and structure of the population’s funds, taking the form of income, expenses and savings. The income of the population is grouped in the balance sheet according to the sources of funds and areas of their spending.

One of the types of state statistical monitoring of the standard of living of the population is sample household budget surveys. These surveys make it possible to obtain data for the accounts of the “Households” sector in , the distribution of income of various groups and segments of the population, and also to identify the dependence of the level of material well-being of a household on its size and family composition, source of income, and employment of family members in various sectors of the economy.

Currently, in accordance with the transition to international standards according to the SNA methodology, new macroeconomic indicators of living standards are being introduced. These include gross household disposable income, gross adjusted household disposable income, household final consumption expenditure and actual household final consumption.

Characteristics of the standard of living of the population

To characterize the standard of living, quantitative and qualitative indicators are used. Quantitative - determine the volume of consumption of specific goods and services, and qualitative - the qualitative side of the well-being of the population.

The standard of living is characterized by a whole block of indicators:

• consumer basket
• average
• income difference
• life expectancy
• the level of education
• food consumption structure
• development of the service sector
• housing provision
• state of the environment
• degree of realization of human rights

Ten countries with the highest and lowest life expectancy at birth, both sexes, years, 2005 (WPDS)*