Peer-reviewed article
Regional Disparities in the Levels and Dynamics of Child Well-Being in Russia
Irina Evgenievna Kalabikhina, Оксана Викторовна Кучмаева, Казбекова Зарина Германовна ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5The paper presents a method for calculating a Statistical Index of Child Well-being for Russian regions. The index was developed for Rosstat and tested with support from the Timchenko Foundation, using 27 Rosstat indicators from 2018 to 2022. The authors group regions by their level of child well-being and by how it changed over time. They find large differences between regions, and child well-being is linked to regional economic development.
Key points
- The index is built from 27 Rosstat indicators and covers 2018–2022.
- Significant regional disparities were found in both the composite index and its sub-indices.
- Five region groups were identified: consistently high, persistently low, sustained decline, steady improvement, and unstable dynamics.
- Higher GRP per capita corresponds to higher index values and more favourable dynamics.
- Income inequality mainly affects the sub-indices on family financial well-being and public expenditure.
Limitations
The abstract reports associations between regional economic conditions and the index, not causes, and does not name the specific domains or indicators. It does not say which regions fall into each group.
Abstract
The paper proposes a methodology for calculating the Statistical Index of Child Well-being, developed for Rosstat and tested with the support of the Timchenko Foundation using 2018–2022 data. Based on 27 Rosstat indicators, the index introduces a dual regional classification by domains of child well-being and by observed improvement outcomes. The aim of the study is to identify types of Russian regions according to the level and dynamics of child well-being in 2018–2022 using the integrated Child Well-being Index and its component sub-indices. Correlation analysis is conducted to examine the relationship between the Child Well-being Index (and its sub-indices) and regional socio-economic conditions, including gross regional product (GRP) per capita and income inequality. In addition, cluster analysis is applied to classify Russian regions based on child well-being indicators. The results reveal significant regional disparities in both the composite child well-being index and its sub-indices. Several stable regional groups are identified: regions with consistently high levels of child well-being, which may serve as benchmarks for effective policy practices; regions with persistently low levels; regions with a sustained decline in the index; regions demonstrating steady improvement; and regions characterized by unstable dynamics. The analysis shows that the dynamics of child well-being are associated with the level of regional economic development, with higher GRP per capita corresponding to higher index values and more favourable dynamics. Income inequality primarily affects sub-indices related to the financial well-being of families and public expenditure levels. Future research directions include identifying determinants of fluctuations in the Child Well-being Index and developing a reduced “mini-index” based on a smaller set of indicators to enable quarterly monitoring of child well-being dynamics.