Human Development Assessment in the Russian Federation

The article evaluates human development in the Russian Federation. An analysis of the Human Development Index data for 2015–2019, calculated according to the methodology of the UN Development Program, showed that, firstly, the level of coverage of the educated population in Russia is one of the highest in the world, therefore education is a fundamental factor in the growth of the HDI in the Russian Federation ; secondly, insufficient funding for the public health of the population determines the low life expectancy, which is one of the most important problems of the country that hinders the HDI; thirdly, the low level of GNI per capita, which forms a low standard of living in the Russian Federation in comparison with developed European countries, is an obstacle to the innovative development of human potential. An analysis of the impact of changes in the components of human development in the regions of the Russian Federation on the calculated human development index showed that there is a gap in the HDI indicators of various regions of the Russian Federation, causing disproportions in the economy and a general slowdown in the development of the country. It is proposed to use the author's methodology of the modernized HDI for a comprehensive assessment of the level of human development. The simulated index takes into account a larger number of its components to assess the real state of affairs in the country and the state, as well as to develop a strategy for improving human development. As a result of calculations and analysis of the modernized index, it was found that the HDI is significantly lower than the HDI (by 17.5%), which allows us to conclude that the concept of "human development" should include a wider set of requirements both to its essence and to its calculation. It was revealed that there are two indicators that are part of the AIDM, with very low values: the indicator of the needs for respect and recognition and the indicator of aesthetic needs. The failure in the indicators is due, on the one hand, to the insufficient impact on the human development of the scientific, managerial and creative intelligentsia in Russia, and on the other hand, to the underdevelopment of the “creative” and scientific sector of the economy and the state’s disinterest in investing in it.