The digital divide as a destabilizing factor in socio-economic development of the regions of the Russian Federation under sanctions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17308/econ.2025.3/13262Keywords:
digital divide, digital inequality, digitalization, socio-economic development, digital infrastructureAbstract
Subject. The impact of the digital divide on the socio-economic development of the Russian regions under external sanctions.
Purpose. To quantitatively assess the impact of digitalization level on the socio-economic development of Russian regions and to determine the role of the digital divide in destabilizing regional development under sanctions. The primary hypothesis is that a higher level of regional digital development positively influences its Gross Regional Product (GRP), while digital inequality between regions exacerbates interregional disparities under external sanctions.
Methodology. The study employs statistical analysis and econometric methods. A correlation-regression analysis was performed to examine the influence of key digitalization indicators on the GRP of Russian regions. We used the official statistical indicators of digital economy development and regional socio-economic conditions as the initial source data.
Results. We identified a statistically significant positive correlation between regional digitalization level and the GRP. Despite the overall increase in digitalization levels, a substantial digital divide persists between leading and lagging regions. Sanctions restrictions were found to exacerbate this imbalance, disproportionately affecting digitally lagging regions.
Conclusions. The digital divide poses a significant threat to balanced regional development, particularly under sanction conditions. A comprehensive state policy aimed at reducing digital inequality is required, including the development of digital infrastructure and human capital in lagging regions, taking their specific characteristics into account.
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References
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