RIA Rating published a rating of living standards in Russia, based on 72 criteria in 11 groups.
The north Caucasus is one of the lowest in the rating. The only region which improved is position was Chechnya, now it takes 68th position (74th in 2017).
Stavropol Territory takes the 22nd position in the list. North Ossetia is 72nd, Dagestan is 73rd, Kabardino-Balkaria is 75th, Karachay-Chjerkessia is 83rd, Ingushetia is 84th.
The Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region are the leaders in the Southern Federal District (the 6th and the 18th), Adygeya is 29th, Kalmykia is 79th.
The most prosperous areas are Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and the Moscow region. They are followed by Tatarstan, Voronezh region, Lipetsk region, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug and Kaliningrad region.
Outsiders of the rating are Buryatia, Kurgan region, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Zabaykalye, Altai and Tuva.
The senior research fellow of the Caucasus Problems and Regional Security Center at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Nikolai Silaev, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the North Caucasus republics continue to face challenges in many areas, and ecology is no exception. "The absence of a developed industry in the North Caucasus does not mean a good ecological situation in the region. For example, there is a very difficult situation with soils in Dagestan and Chechnya, with water - in Ingushetia, Chechnya and some other regions," he said.
"The NCFD republics remain poor and labor-surplus, so their low positions in the rating of living standards are quite expected. Chechnya's growth to 68th position is rather surprising here, as it is economically underdeveloped and still not secure enough. As for Stavropol's 22nd position, it has jobs to provide, while there are no jobs in Dagestan and Chechnya," Nikolai Silaev pointed out.
Silayev's colleague Ahmet Yarlykapov, in turn, linked the low ratings of Caucasian regions with a low level of governance. "The current situation in Dagestan shows that the region is very poorly managed. In addition, about 60-70% of the Dagestani economy is in the shadows due to systemic problems associated with poor governance," he explained.
"As for the Stavropol Territory, it differs from the republics, first of all, with its management system. The Stavropol Territory's local authorities conduct a reasonable policy that positively affects both business and social programs. In addition, healthcare in the Stavropol region is much better than in the republics of the North Caucasus," Ahmet Yarlykapov concluded.
