The relationship between digitalization and quality of life: measurement and interpretation

The article discusses the indicators of digitalization and quality of life, and their relationship. An overall assessment of the digitalization in Russia is given on the basis of statistical data from the Federal State Statistics Service and the Network Readiness Index (NRI-2020), which consists of 62 different indicators, including indicators of the quality of life. A number of statistical indicators in the field of ICT, published by the Federal State Statistics Service annually, characterize the digitalization process in dynamics. The Network Readiness Index demonstrates the ability of national economy to develop in the context of the digital transformation. Russia ranks 48th out of 134 countries in the NRI. Based on the Index, the points of Russia's lagging behind the leading countries and the points of growth of network readiness are identified. The mutual influence of digitalization and quality of life is analysed at a quantitative level, and its interpretation is given at a qualitative level. Separate indicators of the NRI in the overall rating of countries characterize Russia's network readiness as being at a fairly high level, especially in the area of possessing resources and skills for effective use of the Internet by the population, business and government. This conclusion can be confirmed by the facts that Russia has its own national IT-services, competing with global foreign ones. Russia needs to make certain adjustments related to the lag in network readiness: to intensify investments in the digital infrastructure of the 5th generation, in the latest technologies, to improve the regulatory framework, the legislation on e-commerce. It is concluded that the relatively slow pace of the digitalization of Russian society, with the account of its possible negative socio-economic consequences, may rather be an advantage in adapting the population to the digital transformation.