Analyzing the regional differentiation of digital economy in Russia and China

Subject. The article considers digital gaps formed as imbalances between the production and consumption of digital technologies in the region, their assessment, using the digital economy of Russia and China cases. Objectives. The study aims at the comparative analysis of the digital economy of Russia and China by the degree of regional differentiation, and the search for causes of differences between regions, patterns of production and consumption, and digital gaps. Methods. We employed grouping, construction of scattering diagrams, and statistical indicators to assess differentiation – standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, and variation. Methods of calculating the average group values were used to identify the main factors influencing the spatial distribution. Results. The study identified the poles of digital development. The results obtained indicate the digital economy differentiation, differences in regions in terms of concentration of digital production and consumption. The analysis enabled to group regions into eight groups based on two criteria, i.e. the level of the digital economy development and the size of digital gaps. Conclusions. The study showed that the digital economy is developed in regions with a high level of GRP due to the sufficiency of investments and highly qualified personnel in the region and business demand for digital technologies. Digital gaps between regions are observed due to geographical, historical and economic prerequisites. The paper revealed that in China, provinces with a balanced structure of the digital economy have a higher level of economic development, population density, and standard of living.