Who is Happy in Russia?

The Institute of Regional Information has published a very interesting research devoted to living standards in the regions of Russia. Quality of life was estimated according to 6 major indicators of well-being.
The results are by no means a sensation: from all points of view (income level, market development and migration appeal) Moscow still remains at the top of the list leaving far behind its nearest competitors such as St-Petersburg and the Moscow Oblast. However in the last four years the distance between Moscow and St-Petersburg has much shortened.

Unfortunately, quite the opposite is the situation in the North Caucasus. For instance, the Ingush Republic stands on the 82th place between Kalmykia and Tuva. Not far stands from the Ingush Republic Karachai-Cherkessia. However the General Director of the Political Technologies Center Alexei Makarkin doesn't consider these figures represantative for more than ; of all economic structures in the Caucasus still remains hidden. That is why the figures about emloyment and migration that the Russian Federal Servive of State Statistics provides are far from reality and it's almost impossible to find out the real statistics since there are no alternative sources.

Among the other Republics of the North Caucasus the most remarkable seems Kabardino-Balkaria. It went 10 poins up when Dagestan, e. g., went 14 point down and North Ossetia — 10.

Regional authorities will probably dispute the results of the research for no one wants to admit that its region provides low quality of life for its residents. In the same time the top list includes Tyumen and Yugra — the reason of their well-being is obvious. Those regions that have no available hydrocarbons have to do their best and look for the aid of Moscow.

Perhaps that is why the reach regions are growing more and more reach and poor — more and more poor. Thereby in the first quater of the year 2010 form the point of view of life quality the regions take such places — Adygei — 22, North Ossetia — 29, Dagestan — 49, Kabardino-Balkaria — 56, Karachai-Cherkess — 75, the Ingush Republic — 82.

That“s a remarkable fact that the Chechen republic is not included in the list for no particular information about life quality of its residents is provided. However in the whole the answer on the question "Who is happy in Russia?" is given.