Comparative analysis of approaches to assess the quality of life in regions

The Russian development management architecture is based on the strategic planning documents system. The key document in planning the public authorities activities today is the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on national development goals. The quality of life is an integral indicator of the effectiveness and efficiency of society and the state. To achieve national goals, a methodologically sound system for measuring the quality of life must be developed. The classification of theoretical and methodological approaches to measuring instruments of quality of life management has been developed. The following approaches have been highlighted: monetarist, social justice, physical-economic, and combined. Their features and the units of measurement used have been described. The authors’ methods of calculating the quality of life within the framework of monetarist and physical-economic approaches have been proposed. Using the example of each approach, the results of assessing the quality of life in the regions have been considered, highlighting the leading and lagging regions. A comparative analysis of the quality of life ratings has been carried out, which made it possible to draw conclusions about patterns in the location of the leading (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Moscow Region, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Krasnodar Territory, Republic of Tatarstan) and lagging regions (Republic of Tuva, Republic of Ingushetia, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Altai Republic, and the Jewish Autonomous Region). Using the social justice approach has shown opposite results compared to other approaches: lagging regions are the most psychologically calm. One of the study recommendations is the use of physical-economic indicators to calculate the quality of life in combined approaches by government and public-government structures.