Analysis of the relationship between digital inequality and the level of regional development

Relevance. In modern conditions, the problem of digitalization of the Russian economy has been relevant for many years. Both the government and the private sector pay increased attention to the development of digitalization.
The purpose of the study is to quantify the relationship between the level of digital inequality and the socioeconomic development of Russian regions.
Objectives: to select three different indicators of digitalization of regions; to identify the first five and last five regions, sorted by the level of GRP per capita, relative to digitalization indicators; to calculate the correlation coefficients between GRP by year and digitalization indicators by year; to check the relationship between GRP and digitalization indicators for the four studied years, to measure the correlation coefficients for four present the correlation coefficients between GRP per capita in Russia and the three indicators of digitalization for 2020-2023.; to identify the relationship between GRP and digitalization indicators; to present a linear and log-linear model of the relationship between GRP and digitalization indicators.
Methodology. The research used such general scientific methods as analysis and synthesis, classification, grouping, as well as economic and statistical methods, correlation and regression analysis.
Results. The analysis of the relationship of digital inequality on the socio-economic development of Russian regions for 2020-2023 is carried out. It was found that there is a weak correlation between GRP per capita and the indicator "the proportion of households with broadband Internet access in the total number of households". There is practically no connection for other selected indicators. The level of digital development (inequality) is far from the most important factor in the development of Russian regions. It is noted that there is a problem of measuring the impact due to the bidirectional relationship between economic development and digitalization.
Conclusions. A quantitative analysis of the relationship between the economic development of Russian regions and digital inequality has been carried out. There is a connection, but it is weak. It is necessary to develop one common aggregated indicator, which will take into account the diversity of digital inequality between regions.

1. Trofimova N.N. The impact of digitalization on the innovative development of the economy. Ekonomika i upravlenie: problemy, resheniya = Economics and Management: Problems, Solutions. 2024;1(8):172–178. (In Russ.)

2. Dudin M.N., Shkodinsky S.V., Usmanov D.I. Assessment of the impact of digital inequality on the level of socio-economic development of the regions of the Russian Federation. Voprosy innovatsionnoy ekonomiki = Issues of Innovative Economics. 2021;11(3):961–984. (In Russ.)

3. Chistnikova I.V., Antonova M.V., Mikhailichenko M.Yu. A scientific approach to studying the impact of digitalization on the regional economy. E-Management. 2022;5(4):72–81. (In Russ.)

4. Nikolaev M.A., Makhotaeva M.Yu., Gusarova V.N. Analysis of the impact of digitalization processes on the economic development of regions. Nauchno-tekhnicheskie vedomosti SPbGPU. Ekonomicheskie nauki = Scientific and Technical Bulletin of St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University. Economic Sciences. 2020;13(4):46–56. (In Russ.)

5. Lazaniuk I.V., Shkvarya L.V., Eyeberdieva M.M. The development of AI in the BRICS countries: synergy to reduce digital inequality. Vostok. Afro-aziatskie obshchestva: istoriya i sovremennost' = Vostok. Afro-Asian Societies: History and Modernity. 2025;(1):182-194. (In Russ.)

6. Lipchanskaya M.A., Palamarchuk S.A. Digital Inequality and Digital Transformation in Public Administration: Evolution of the Concept and Criteria. Gosudarstvennaya vlast' i mestnoe samoupravlenie = State Power and Local Self-Government. 2025;(2):38-42. (In Russ.)

7. Serezhko T.A., Kokhan Zh.S., Garmashov D.O. Concept and Features of Social Inequality in the Digital Society. Sotsial'no-gumanitarnye znaniya = Social and Humanitarian Knowledge. 2025;(2):103-106. (In Russ.)

8. Blaschkina D.A. Digital inequality and the technological gap on the example of the countries Russia, China, India and Brazil. Ekonomicheskoe razvitie Rossii = Economic Development of Russia. 2025;32(1):4-13. (In Russ.)

9. Yaromenko N.N., Farger E.D., Mustafayev E.E., et al. Spatial econometrics in the analysis of digital inequality of Russian regions. Ekonomika i predprinimatel'stvo = Economy and Entrepreneurship. 2025;(2):490-494. (In Russ.)

10. Kurilova A.A. Analysis of the convergence of digital inequality among the population of Russian regions. Baltiiskii region = Baltic Region. 2025;17(1):117-140. (In Russ.)

11. Lazaniuk I.V., Pugacheva I.A., Semchuk V.A., Nevedomskaya A.O. Reconsidering the digital inequality in the labor market of the BRICS countries. Voprosy innovatsionnoi ekonomiki = Issues of Innovative Economics. 2025;15(1):69-90. (In Russ.)

12. Selishcheva T.A. New characteristics of socio-economic inequality in the digital economy. Problemy sovremennoi ekonomiki = Problems of Modern Economics. 2024;(3):62-66. (In Russ.)

13. Plotichkina N.V. Theoretical models of socio-digital inequality (E. Helsper, I. Marien): a comparative review. Zhurnal sotsiologii i sotsial'noi antropologii = Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2024;27(3):7-38. (In Russ.)

14. Goffe N.V. Inequality and poverty in the digital age. Sovremennaya Evropa = Modern Europe. 2024;(6):179-190. (In Russ.)

15. Serezhko T.A., Garmashov D.O. The role of education in overcoming digital inequality. Sotsial'no-gumanitarnye znaniya = Social and Humanitarian Knowledge. 2024;(4):71-73. (In Russ.)

16. Revinova S.Yu., Valko E.A. Accessibility of education in the context of digital inequality of the regions of the Russian Federation. Ekonomicheskii analiz: teoriya i praktika = Economic Analysis: Theory and Practice. 2024;23(12):2312-2322. (In Russ.)

17. Tagarov B. Zh., Kazantseva I. I. The Impact of Digital Transformation on Economic Inequality between Territories. Vestnik Altaiskoi akademii ekonomiki i prava = Bulletin of the Altai Academy of Economics and Law. 2024;(6-1):171-175. (In Russ.)

18. Buchinskaya O.N. Digital Globalization of the Labor Market as a Factor in Deepening Inequality. Natsional'nye interesy: prioritety i bezopasnost' = National Interests: Priorities and Security. 2024;20(8):1583-1600. (In Russ.)

19. Pibaeva E.A. Digital Inequality and Its Overcoming as a Guarantee of Equal Access to Education in the Russian Federation. Aktual'nye problemy rossiiskogo prava = Actual Problems of Russian Law. 2024;19(10):32-44. (In Russ.)

20. Alekseeva O.A. Information society: digital inequality of Russian regions. Regional'nye problemy preobrazovaniya ekonomiki = Regional Problems of Economic Transformation. 2024;(11):7-13. (In Russ.)

21. Lipchanskaya M.A. Digital inequality in the local government system: concept, criteria, ways to overcome it. Izvestiya Saratovskogo universiteta. Novaya seriya. Seriya: Ekonomika. Upravlenie. Pravo= Proceedings of the Saratov University. New Series. Series: Economics. Management. Law. 2024;24(1):52-58. (In Russ.)

22. Napso M.D. Digital inequality and the sphere of education. Chelovecheskii kapital = Human Capital. 2024;(2):150-155. (In Russ.)

23. Kalinin K.N., Egorushkina A.S., Egorushkina T.N. Socio-economic assessment of digital inequality in the context of the modern digital economy. Voprosy ekonomiki i prava = Questions of Economics and Law. 2024;(198):65-71. (In Russ.)

24. Kovaleva O.P., Kovalev V.A. Digital inequality as a challenge to the regional economy. Nauka o cheloveke: gumanitarnye issledovaniya = Science of Man: Humanitarian Research. 2024;18(3):212-224. (In Russ.)

25. Platonova S.I. Digital inequality as a new form of social inequality. Intellekt. Innovatsii. Investitsii = Intelligence. Innovations. Investments. 2024;(6):139-149. (In Russ.)