Interregional Inequality in Russia and Post-Soviet Countries in the 21st Century

Abstract The article analyzes the level and dynamics of interregional inequality in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus versus other European countries based on data from official statistics of CIS countries (1995–2022) and Eurostat (2011–2022). The Gini coefficient, weighted by population and normalized depending on the number of territorial units, is used as the main assessment parameter. In Belarus and European Union countries, the level of interregional inequality is lower, associated with high and more uniform development of the territory and a more stable economic structure. In Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the level of interregional inequality is higher and its dynamics are multidirectional, associated with the influence of resource rent on a limited number of regions. In Russia and Uzbekistan since the late 2010s, inequality has grown, decreased in Kazakhstan, and was small and stable in Belarus due to the peculiarities of the economic structure and institutional factors of development. Assessments of the impact of macroeconomic dynamics on interregional inequality have not provided clear evidence of its impact. The impact of the state’s redistribution policy can only be assessed for Russia: a significant increase in transfers during the crises of 2009 and 2020 contributed to mitigating inequality. Within Russian federal districts, differentiation is generally lower. High inequality is characteristic of the extremely heterogeneous Ural Federal District and Central Federal District, where it has been declining in recent years. In the Far Eastern Federal District, regional differentiation grew, and its gradual increase also occurred in the regions of the Northwestern Federal District.