Economic inequality in Russia: analysis of regional peculiarities

Managing the level of inequality is an indispensable tool for ensuring sustainable development and maintaining political stability. The paper systematizes the reasons for the relevance of the problems of economic inequality and its impact on economic development. The results of the analysis of regional features of economic inequality in the Russian Federation are presented. The relationship between the parameters of socio-economic development of 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the period from 2012 to 2022 with indicators of economic inequality is studied. Temporal trends in the income concentration coefficient (Gini index) for the country as a whole and for each of the subjects are identified, their features are determined. Using the k-means method, a cluster analysis of 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation is carried out in terms of socio-economic development and economic inequality. A correlation analysis of the Gini index with the size of GRP per capita and the average value of the average monthly nominal accrued wage is carried out for each cluster, using the values of the indicators averaged over an 11-year interval. Scatter plots are constructed and analyzed. Conclusions about the features of economic inequality for each cluster are drawn, and directions for the instrumentalization of socio-economic policy to overcome economic inequality in the regions of the Russian Federation are determined.