DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIAL SECTOR INDUSTRIES REGIONS OF THE NORTH-WEST OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The purpose of the article is to study the processes of digital transformation of the social sector of the regions of the North-West of Russia and, in particular, higher education, healthcare and social protection of the population. On the basis of a number of sources of national statistics, the nature and pace of digital transformation are analyzed, and the presence of numerous methods for assessing digitalization based on various approaches and principles is revealed. The potential effects of the digital transformation of the social sector, as well as possible threats and risks associated with its promotion are considered. It is concluded that, in general, digitalization has significantly expanded the possibilities of the population to use various services, and we can talk about a certain continuity of digitalization processes in each of the considered branches of the social sector. At the same time, there is a pronounced digital divide both between the branches of the social sector and between individual subjects of macroregion, as well as between settlements within each of the regions.