An analysis of the subjective assessment of the quality of life of the population of the Baikal region in the context of recreational activities was carried out. Improving the quality of life is considered as one of the main factors of territorial development. On the example of Olkhonsky and Ekhirit-Bulagatsky districts of the Irkutsk region, the importance of the subjective side of the quality of life of the population, its role in the implementation of projects for the recreational development of the region is shown. Conflicting expectations revealed local population: a positive perception of tourism projects is associated with an expected increase in employment and the solution of social problems, negative assessments are accompanied by fears about the preservation of the ethnocultural landscape, aggravation of sanitary environmental issues, deterioration of the socio-economic situation. Comparative characteristics of two regions with different recreational potential showed that the expectations of the population and the subjective self-assessment of their quality of life show a similarity, which makes it possible to consider the commonality of socio-geographical problems as a more effective factor than regional differences.
the quality of life
population
ethnographic tourism
regional development
recreational activity
local community
polyethnic territory
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9. Shekhovtsova T.N. Quality of life of the population and the search for a regional strategy economic development(on the example of the Olkhonsky district of the Irkutsk region) // Internet journal "Naukovedenie". - 2013. - No. 6 (19) [Electronic resource]. - M., 2013. - Access mode: http:naukovedenie.ru/PDF/60EVN613.pdf, free - Head. from the screen. (accessed 21.08.2014).
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The Baikal region, in the context of the rapid development of the international tourism system, has every chance of becoming a leader among the world's tourist centers. Lake Baikal is the system-forming axis of the regional tourist space. The Irkutsk region is considered as a territory favorable for the development of inbound tourism. At present, in terms of the level of the tourist product, the region is considered moderately developed. Main competitive advantage The Irkutsk region, among other regions, is the presence of unique natural (Lake Baikal) and ethno-cultural (living culture of the Siberian peoples and Russian old-timers) resources. The development of tourism on Lake Baikal and adjacent territories is recognized as a complex priority for the development of the Irkutsk region.
The planned development of the recreational business should be accompanied by a comprehensive socio-economic and socio-geographic study. In a number of works, the directions of the recreational development of the region are considered, the prospects for environmentally-oriented and ethnographic tourism are analyzed. At the same time, the success of tourism development in the region largely depends on the positive attitude of the local population to the projects of recreational development of the territory, the "loyalty" of local communities and the willingness to cooperate in the framework of ongoing initiatives, the emergence of local initiatives. But diagnostics of the attitude of the population to the development of tourism does not give a complete picture of the reasons for its acceptance or rejection. In our opinion, research requires a broader, integral category - the quality of life. This concept includes health, life expectancy, spiritual needs, environmental conditions, emotional balance. The quality of life is not limited to the consumption of material goods and services. The concept of quality of life includes the level of development and the degree of satisfaction of the whole complex of needs and interests of people. Thus, the quality of life can vary significantly in terms of content depending on the social, economic, natural-geographical and cultural factors of the development of society. The nature of historical development, ethnic structure, socio-demographic features also influence the territorial specifics of the quality of life of the population. The quality of life is a cumulative characteristic of the state of the population in terms of the reproduction of a territorial community. Therefore, this concept is widely used in economic geography, regional economy and regional studies.
It should be noted that the concept of "quality of life" should be studied as an objective phenomenon and a subjective phenomenon. Objective quality indicators are identified mainly on the basis of statistics. The subjective edge requires approaches that allow taking into account the opinion and attitude of people to the consumption of material goods, to projects for the development of the territory. It should also include aspects of physical and emotional-psychological health.
In the methodological aspect, when planning the sample, we relied on the recommendations for conducting a sociogeographic study of lifestyle. The sample size recommended by the named author for sociogeographic research is 100-150 people. However, we had to slightly adjust these recommendations, since our study was of a pilot nature. The survey was accompanied by interviews. On the scale of the population of the studied municipalities the sample can be considered sufficient: 231 people were interviewed in two districts, including 80 people in Olkhonsky and 151 people in Ekhirit-Bulagatsky.
Socio-geographical features of the study regions
The federal law "On the protection of Lake Baikal" regulates the life support of the population and assumes the existence of environmental restrictions. The strategy of tourist development of the territory with environmental restrictions contributes to the “compensatory” development of the territory, involving natural and cultural monuments, aesthetic landscapes into circulation, stimulates the development of ethnoculture, the economy, including Agriculture and service industries.
Olkhonsky district of the Irkutsk region is located within the Baikal natural territory, it extends along the western coast of Lake Baikal and includes the largest island of the lake - about. Olkhon . The district has the status of a municipal formation, includes 5 rural (Elantsynskoye, Buguldeyskoye, Kuretskoye, Shara-Togotskoye, Ongurenskoye) and 1 urban (Khuzhirskoye) settlements, uniting 41 settlements.
The Ekhirit-Bulagatsky district of the Irkutsk region is also part of the Baikal natural territory. Regional center - pos. Ust-Ordynsky, there are 13 municipalities (Aluzhinskoye, Akhinsky, Gakhansky, Zakhalsky, Kapsalsky, Korsuksky, Kulunkunsky, Novonikolaevsky, Oloysky, Tugutuysky, Ust-Ordynsky, Kharazargaysky, Kharatsky), the population of which lives in 54 settlements.
The life support of the population of the Olkhonsky district is based on the use of the resources of the lake. Lake Baikal and adjacent landscapes: most of the men are engaged in fishing, there is traditional Buryat horse breeding and breeding of large and small cattle. There is a gradual increase in employment in the tourism industry and related services. There are 42 business enterprises and 332 registered individual entrepreneurs. At the same time, over 24% of the sales volume falls on the share of tourism services. The number of officially employed in the tourism business is only 300 people, and the territory is visited annually by over 400 thousand tourists, most of whom are unorganized vacationers. In the Ekhirit-Bulagat district, the basis for economic development is agriculture, which provides more than half (54%) of the output, livestock breeding plays a predominant role. Registered 6 small businesses, 600 individual entrepreneurs. The livestock specificity of agriculture in both regions is to follow the ethnic traditions of the indigenous population - the Buryats, and can be considered as the main component of their traditional nature management, contributing to the strengthening of ethnic identity.
Like Olkhonsky, Ekhirit-Bulagatsky district has a set of recreational resources, among which the main ones are ethno-recreational. The actualization of ethnic identity contributed to the growth of attention to shamanism. There are many sacred loci in the region - archaeological sites with rock petroglyphs, places of worship, family sanctuaries. Currently, the tourism development of the region is small.
Both regions are characterized by an original ethno-cultural landscape, which combines material objects, the natural environment and spiritual layers of culture on the basis of ethnic traditions and practices of nature management. The Olkhonsky district is in a more advantageous position, having significant recreational potential, and regional development plans are associated with the use of the Baikal “brand”, the expansion of the tourism business and the prospect of involving local communities in it.
Subjective assessment of the quality of life of the population
The study was conducted in the municipalities of the administrative districts of the Irkutsk region: Olkhonsky - "Elantsinskoye" and Ekhirit - Bulagatsky "Ust - Ordynskoye". The predominance in the sample of women who traditionally live in the interests of the family, and at the same time have a high level of education, are of active working age, probably influenced the nature of the answers regarding concerns about the future, the fate of local youth.
It is interesting to compare the data on living conditions: in the Olkhonsky district, only 10% are satisfied with them, 57% consider them unsatisfactory. Over the past 5-10 years, life in the village has not changed, according to half of the respondents, a quarter of the respondents believe that it has worsened. Improvement of living conditions in the village is noted only by 17% of respondents. Dissatisfaction with the sanitary condition is noticeable: 64% of respondents rate it as bad, 21% - satisfactory, 2.5% - good. Respondents generally assess prosperity as low (53%) and medium (46%). More than half of the respondents (57%) are not sure about the future. Only 17% are optimistic about the future. Of particular concern are rising prices, unemployment, drunkenness, low wages, unresolved housing problems, insufficient social protection and assistance.
Among the possible directions for the development of the municipality, respondents highlight the improvement of housing and communal services, the development of tourism and the creation of new jobs (34%), the improvement of medical care (26%), the repair and construction of preschool and school institutions (19%), the construction of cultural and sports institutions ( fourteen%).
In the Ekhirit-Bulagat district, 10% are satisfied with the living conditions, 64% note that a lot needs to be changed, and 21% are not at all satisfied with the current situation. About 40% of respondents believe that last years life in the village has not changed, another 40% - that it has worsened, 17% note an improvement. The sanitary condition is considered poor by 69% of respondents, satisfactory - by 22%. A block of social problems causes significant concern among the population: negative emotions are provoked by low wages (89%), drunkenness (85%), unemployment (84%), rising prices (82%), difficult housing problems (78%). Among the issues that require urgent solutions, the residents of the village include the problems of children and youth (85%), work public transport(42%), maintenance of municipal housing (70%), maintenance of roads (81%), landscaping (78%), medical care (86%), social services (69.5%), public order (68% ), sanitary condition of the territory (80%), sports and leisure (57%).
Since the Olkhonsky district has a significant recreational potential and the future of the region is associated with the development of tourism, it would be logical to assume that the survey will reveal the positive orientations and expectations of the population associated with the development of the recreational complex. But 42% of respondents fear that with the development of tourism, life will become worse, as Baikal will become polluted, its shores may collapse. The threat of disturbing the peace of the sacred places for the Olkhon Buryats was noted by 17% of the respondents, regardless of their ethnicity. Only 23% believe that tourism will solve the problem of unemployment. The rest of the respondents find it difficult to assess what the prospects for the development of tourism in the region will mean for them personally.
In the Ekhirit-Bulagat district, a third of respondents fear the “side effects” of tourism development. People strive to prevent the destruction of natural and cultural monuments, the littering of the territory. Even the inhabitants of the village, geographically remote from Baikal. Ust-Ordynsky are afraid that with the growth of tourist flows, the unique ecosystem of the lake will be destroyed. Baikal, especially since the consequences of unregulated tourism in the Olkhonsky district of the Irkutsk region are negative for the natural environment. Thus, the territory of study in the perception of its inhabitants is an ethnocultural landscape with which the community is connected by relations of territorial-value rootedness.
Conclusion
Our study, focused on the subjective assessment of the quality of life of the population of two districts of the Irkutsk region, allowed us to come to a number of conclusions. A subjective assessment of the quality of life is of great importance in the planning of territorial development. Objective approaches that reveal the quality of life using a set of measurable indicators need to be supplemented by subjective assessments of life well-being and well-being. This was made possible by the method of questioning the local communities of the Elantsinskoye and Ust-Ordynskoye municipalities that we used. The answers of the population about the quality of the environment, problems and ways of development, self-awareness, create a panorama of the subjective perception of the quality of life in the region under study. Subjective assessments are at the heart of the strategies for the interaction of the local community with business investors. As a result, conflicting expectations were revealed in relation to the development of the recreational business: hopes for improving employment and reducing unemployment are accompanied by concerns about the preservation of the sacred components of the natural environment and the ethno-cultural landscape. At the same time, the proportion of negative expectations is higher in the Olkhonsky district (a significant number of respondents are concerned about the sanitary condition of the territory), where the flow of tourists is approaching half a million people, and the sanitary and protective infrastructure cannot meet their needs. In these circumstances, the success of business projects of organizing not only ethno-cultural and sacred tourism, but also its other types, including beach and swimming holidays, cruise, hiking, cycling, auto-, ecological and cognitive tourism largely depends on the subjective feeling of well-being and interest of local communities tourism. Therefore, in order to reduce risks, it is necessary to have the maximum possible participation of local residents in the implementation of tourism projects, from the planning stage to concrete implementation. Ethnotourism in the areas of residence of the Buryat and old-timer Russian population requires social planning. In the event that local residents are not involved in it, they receive only a lot of environmental problems on their territory, a negative attitude towards recreational development is possible. All this can lead to a number of adverse consequences, from interpersonal relations and the safety of vacationers, to opposing deep relationships with the sacred landscape to theatrical "kitsch-ethnoculture".
Therefore, in order to accurately take into account investment risks and prevent conflict situations, it is necessary to apply subjective methods for assessing the quality of life of the local community. In accordance with the results obtained, the actions of authorities and businesses can become more targeted, coordinated and correct.
Reviewers:
Bezrukov L.A., Doctor of Geological Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Georesource Science and political geography FGBUN Institute of Geography. V.B. Sochavy SB RAS, Irkutsk;
Ragulina M.V., Doctor of Geography, Leading Researcher, Laboratory of Georesource Science and Political Geography, FGBUN Institute of Geography named after A.I. V.B. Sochavy SB RAS, Irkutsk.
1.2 Indicators of quality of life.
There are integral and particular approaches to the knowledge of the quality of life. The integral approach assumes the behavior of two types of assessments: objective (based on official statistics, without involving generalizing information based on various kinds of public opinion polls, etc.) and subjective (based on the opinion of the population).
I. V. Bestuzhev - Lada focuses the category “quality of life” on such an assessment of the degree of satisfaction of material needs, which cannot be directly measured quantitatively, but requires complex methods of indirect qualification on various scales. Therefore, an assessment should be made of the content of work and leisure and satisfaction with them, the level of comfort in work and life, the quality and fashion of clothing, the quality of food, housing, housing and the environment, the functioning of social institutions, the quality of the level of satisfaction of the need for communication, knowledge, creativity and other needs aimed not only at self-preservation, but also at self-satisfaction and self-organization of the individual.
The health of the population, as a rule, can be one of the main criteria for the effective functioning of the economy, because its role is enhanced due to:
1. Increasing the role of the human factor in the economy National economy, where health is the main property labor resources characterizing the quality of the labor force used by society for the reproduction of material and spiritual benefits;
2. An increase in the direct and indirect costs of society in production, where the health of the population is the subject and product of labor in many sectors of the national economy
3. The need for a quantitative measurement of the well-being of the population, in the assessment of which health is manifested as a consumer good and as its main component.
D. Pringle uses a system of quality of life indicators based on the use of a number of statistical assessments that characterize the level of employment, the state of health of the population, the level of crime, etc. At the same time, the author points out that many constituent elements of the quality of life are not quantitatively measurable (for example, satisfaction ).
Among such “non-measurable elements”, other authors also include individual attachments and preferences, a person’s satisfaction in his ability to control any situation, etc. These and similar elements, combined together, allow us to draw a picture of the subjective quality of life felt by a person.
After analyzing the existing approaches to understanding the essence of the concept of "quality of life" of the population, the authors came to the conclusion that a holistic picture of the quality of life can be created on the basis of combining two groups of criteria into a whole.
The first group consists of estimates based on statistical information. With a certain degree of conditionality, these criteria can be called objective.
The second group consists entirely of assessments based on sociological surveys of the population, in which respondents are asked to express their attitude to certain aspects of their lives, so it seems quite reasonable to classify them as subjective.
In general, it is necessary to carefully approach the measurement of quality of life by subjective indicators. The main reason for this approach lies in the fact, as M. Adamitz and K. Pornalk correctly believe, that the conditions that give people's judgments sufficient credibility include freedom and the ability to avoid hoaxes. Therefore, in order to avoid a mystified idea of the surrounding reality, it is possible, in society, to achieve a certain level of development. This level assumes the presence of a number of conditions, among which are the following:
· The basic material needs of consumption are satisfied to the extent that the stage of satisfaction of "refined, modified personal needs" comes. Spiritual and aesthetic needs should come to the fore
· The country has developed a middle class of sufficient size, concentrating in itself a significant part of the nation's intellect, the well-being of which is beyond doubt;
· The person assessing the quality of life has a certain practice of using alternative options. It is known from research that the smaller the family or individual has alternatives to compare. The less they appreciate the quality of life.
· Stability of the socio-political situation in the country, sustainable economic growth.
Modern Russian reality until it satisfies any of the above conditions. Therefore, when studying the quality of life of the population of our country on present stage an approach that, with a certain degree of conventionality, can be called objective should prevail. Criteria and assessments of the quality of life should be based on a system of indicators that objectively reflect the socio-economic situation.
1.3 Quality of life criteria
The study of the quality of life of the population involves the addition of criteria-based assessments with a system of scientific justification and systematic, organized observation. Data collection and analysis.
The different planning of the concept of "quality" of life is due to the variety of indicators. The latter can characterize a single element of the quality of life or the whole set. Relevant metrics include:
1. Health
Opportunity to lead a healthy lifestyle at all levels life cycle;
Impact of health impairment on individuals;
2. Individual development through training
Assimilation by children of the basic knowledge and skills, as well as the values necessary for their individual development and successful activity as a member of society;
The possibility of continuing self-education and the ability to use these skills;
The use and development by individuals of their knowledge, skills and mobility required to realize their economic potential and, if desired, enable them to integrate with economic process;
Preservation and development of cultural development by the individual in order to contribute to the well-being of members of various social groups;
3. Employment and quality of working life
Availability of profitable work for those who aspire to get it;
The nature of labor activity;
Satisfaction of the individual with his work life
4. Time and leisure
Choice of your pastime
5. Ability to purchase goods and use services
Personal opportunity to purchase goods and use services;
The number of people experiencing material deprivation;
The degree of equality in the distribution of goods and services;
The quality, choice and availability of goods and services produced in the private and public sectors;
Protecting individuals and their families in the event of economic hardship;
And such indicators: - working conditions and its safety; - environmental Safety; - availability and possibility of rational use of free time; - cultural level of the population; - state and level of physical culture. The level and quality of life are very similar concepts, but still different. The quality of life is more abstract. Of course it depends on the...
CHAPTER II. DIRECTIONS AND INDICATORS OF ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE POPULATION OF A MUNICIPAL FORMATION 2.1 A component-by-component analysis of the quality of life of the population of a municipality. So, as we found out, monitoring of the quality of life of the population can be carried out in the three main areas noted above (see Chapter 1) Let us now consider each of the planned areas of monitoring more ...
Among the crimes committed in public places and on the streets, property crimes account for a high proportion. 3. Territorial differentiation of the quality of life of the population The Perm Territory remains a territory with a significant differentiation of municipalities in terms of the level of socio-economic development and the living conditions of people. Relatively good situation...
The study of geography at the basic level of secondary (complete) general education is aimed at achieving the following goals :
· mastering the system of geographical knowledge about a holistic, diverse and dynamically changing world, the relationship of nature, population and economy at all territorial levels, the geographical aspects of the global problems of mankind and ways to solve them; methods of studying geographic space, the diversity of its objects and processes;
· mastery of skills combine global, regional and local approaches to describe and analyze natural, socio-economic and geoecological processes and phenomena;
· development cognitive interests, intellectual and creative abilities through familiarization with the most important geographical features and problems of the world, its regions and largest countries;
· upbringing patriotism, tolerance, respect for other peoples and cultures; respect for the environment;
· usage in practical activities and Everyday life a variety of geographical methods, knowledge and skills, as well as geographical information.
MODERN METHODS
GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH.
SOURCES OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Geography as a science. Traditional and new methods of geographical research. Types of geographic information, its role and use in people's lives. Geoinformation systems.
NATURE AND MAN IN THE MODERN WORLD
Interaction between mankind and nature, environmental change in the past and present. Main types natural resources, their location, the largest deposits and territorial combinations. Rational and irrational nature management.
Assessing the provision of mankind with the main types of natural resources. Analysis of nature management maps in order to identify areas of acute geoecological situations.
WORLD POPULATION
The constant growth of the world's population, its causes and consequences. Types of population reproduction. The composition and structure of the population. Geography of world religions. The main centers of ethnic and confessional conflicts. The main directions and types of migration in the world. Geographic features of population distribution. Settlement forms, urban and rural population peace. Urbanization as a worldwide process.
Assessment of the main indicators of the level and quality of life of the population. Analysis of population maps.
GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD ECONOMY
The world economy, the main stages of its development. Sectoral and territorial structure of the economy of the world. Geography of the main branches of production and non-production spheres, regions of various specializations. World trade and tourism. Major international highways and transport hubs. International specialization of the largest countries and regions of the world, integration branch and regional unions. Leading exporting countries of the main types of products. Geography of world monetary and financial relations.
Analysis of economic maps. Identification of the uneven economic development of different territories. Determination of the international specialization of the largest countries and regions of the world. Establishing relationships between the distribution of the population, economy and natural conditions in specific areas.
REGIONS AND COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
Diversity of countries of the world and their types. Modern political map of the world. Features of geographical location, history of discovery and development, natural resource potential, population, economy, culture, modern problems of development of large regions and countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, North and Latin America, as well as Australia.
Analysis of the political map of the world and economic maps in order to determine the specialization of different types of countries and regions of the world, their participation in international geographical division labor.
RUSSIA IN THE MODERN WORLD
Russia on political map world, in the world economy, the system of international financial, economic and political relations. Branches of international specialization in Russia. Features of the geography of Russia's economic, political and cultural ties with the most developed countries of the world. Geographical aspects of the most important socio-economic problems in Russia.
Analysis and explanation of the features of the modern geopolitical and geo economic situation Russia. Identification of the main directions of external economic ties Russia with the most developed countries of the world.
GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS OF MODERN
GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF HUMANITY
The concept of global problems, their types and relationships. The geographical content of the global problems of mankind in the past and present. Raw material, demographic, food and geo-environmental problems as a priority, ways to solve them. Problems of overcoming backwardness developing countries. Geographical aspects of the quality of life of the population. The role of geography in solving global problems of mankind.
Compilation of the simplest tables, diagrams, maps, reflecting the geographical relationships of the priority global problems of mankind.
As a result of studying geography at a basic level, the student should
know/understand
basic geographical concepts and terms; traditional and new methods of geographical research;
· features of placement of the main types of natural resources, their main deposits and territorial combinations; the number and dynamics of the world population, individual regions and countries, their ethno-geographical specifics; differences in the level and quality of life of the population, the main directions of migration; problems of modern urbanization;
· geographical features of the sectoral and territorial structure of the world economy, the location of its main industries; geographic specifics of individual countries and regions, their differences in terms of socio-economic development, specialization in the system of international geographical division of labor; geographical aspects of global problems of mankind;
· features of the current geopolitical and geo-economic position of Russia, its role in the international geographical division of labor;
be able to
· define and compare according to various sources of information, geographical trends in the development of natural, socio-economic and geo-ecological objects, processes and phenomena;
· evaluate and explain resource availability of individual countries and regions of the world, their demographic situation, levels of urbanization and territorial concentration of population and production, the degree of natural, anthropogenic and technogenic changes in individual territories;
· apply various sources of geographic information for observing natural, socio-economic and geoecological objects, processes and phenomena, their changes under the influence of various factors;
· make up complex geographical characteristics of regions and countries of the world; tables, maps, diagrams, simple maps, models that reflect the geographical patterns of various phenomena and processes, their territorial interactions;
· compare geographical maps of various subjects;
use the acquired knowledge and skills in practical activities and everyday life for:
• identifying and explaining the geographical aspects of various current events and situations;
· finding and applying geographic information, including maps, statistical materials, geographic information systems and Internet resources; correct assessment of the most important socio-economic events in international life, the geopolitical and geo-economic situation in Russia, other countries and regions of the world, the trends of their possible development;
· understanding the geographical specifics of large regions and countries of the world in the context of globalization, the rapid development of international tourism and recreation, business and educational programs, various types of human communication.
Italics in the text highlight material that is subject to study, but is not included in the Requirements for the level of training of graduates.
1. Introduction.
2. The concept and main indicators of the quality of life of the population.
3. The system of indicators of the quality of life of the population
4.Statistics of the standard of living of the population. The system of statistical indicators of the standard of living of the population. Tasks of statistics of the standard of living of the population.
5.Characteristics of the standard of living of the population.
6. Salary.
7.Quality of life of the population in science.
8. Statistics
9. Study of the quality of life of the population.
10. Qualitative indicators.
11. Integral indicator of the level and quality of life
1. Introduction. In the era of globalization and deepening integration processes, expansion of foreign economic relations and various forms of economic cooperation, the availability of comparable information is a necessary condition for assessing the economic and social position of a country in the world. At present, the results of comparisons are widely used by international organizations, national government bodies and non-governmental organizations from different countries, journalists and scientists for analytical and practical work.
The standard of living occupies a central place in the socio-economic life of society. In civilized countries the main task state is to ensure a decent level and quality of life for the population. In modern transformations market economy the problem of raising the level and quality of life becomes very important. Since social function public policy is bound by ever-increasing expectations regarding the improvement of the quality and standard of living. The direction and pace of further transformations in countries and, ultimately, political and, consequently, economic stability in society, largely depend on the solution of this problem. The work of many economists has been devoted to the study of questions of raising living standards. significant role in the development of methodological foundations played the works of K. Marx. Research in this area was carried out by S.L. Brew, J.M. Keynes, F. Kotler, A. Maslow, S. Fisher and others. Foreign authors have developed national models of living standards, indicators of their assessment, and regulatory mechanisms.
In recent decades, the meaning that scientists attach to the term "standard of living", and the content invested in it, have undergone major changes. Until recently, experts in the field of measuring the standard of living had only two long-established, traditional approaches to solving this problem. Both approaches, as it turned out, have serious shortcomings, the understanding of which made it possible to raise the question of an ideal indicator of the standard of living from a theoretical point of view, that is, a benchmark to which one should strive in applied research and practical measurements. Existing disagreements in the methodology for determining the standard of living, insufficiently focused analysis of its indicators, high social cost of implemented in the world economic reforms determine the need for a thorough study of these positions and confirm the relevance of the topic of this essay.
The main purpose of this work is to analyze the specifics of the concepts of "standard of living" and "quality of life", study the most important indicators and consider the state of the level and quality of life in various countries and regions of the world. In connection with this goal, the main tasks of the work are set - to define the concepts standard of living and quality of life, describe measurement indicators, reveal the importance of studying these concepts, on the basis of analysis, determine the current state of the level and quality of life of the world's population, and also identify the main directions for improving the standard of living in various countries.
The subject of research is defined as a set of economic relations that determine the standard of living of the population. The object of the study is the standard of living of the population and the conditions affecting it as a certain section of socio-economic relations.
2. The concept and main indicators of the quality of life of the population.
The quality of life is the most important social category that characterizes the structure of human needs and the possibility of their satisfaction. Some researchers, when defining the concept of "quality of life", focus on the economic side, the material security of the population's life. There is also an opposite point of view, according to which the quality of life is the most integrated social indicator.
Quality of life of the population- this is the degree of satisfaction of the material, spiritual and social needs of a person.
A person suffers from a low quality of life and experiences satisfaction from a high quality of life, regardless of the area in work, in business and in personal life. Therefore, quality is necessary for a person constantly. A person himself strives to improve the quality of life - he gets an education, works at work, strives to move up the career ladder, makes every effort to achieve recognition in society.
The main indicators of the quality of life of the population are:
3. The system of indicators of the quality of life of the population
The cost of living:
The cost of living:
Population consumption:
Population income:
The cost of living:
consumer price indices;
Population consumption: 5.
The main integral indicators of the life of the population:
Provision and coverage of the population with infrastructure facilities and technical means of the sectoral social sphere:
Demographic parameters:
4.Statistics of the standard of living of the population
Standards of living- represents economic category. This is the level of provision of the population with the necessary material goods and services.
The standard of living is the level of well-being of the population, the consumption of goods and services, a set of conditions and indicators that characterize the measure of satisfaction of the basic vital needs of people.
At present, when economic systems countries undergo deformation and change the main goal remains implementation of the principle of social orientation of the market economy by improving the standard of living of the population.
The system of statistical indicators of the standard of living of the population
As the main complex characteristic of the standard of living of the population Currently, the Human Development Index (HDI) is used, calculated as an integral of three components: GDP per capita, life expectancy at birth, and the level of education achieved.
To compare living standards in different countries In world practice, the following indicators are also used:
Agreed standard of living for citizens Russian Federation is determined by the following main indicators:
The tasks of statistics on the standard of living of the population
The main objectives of statistics on the standard of living of the population are: the study of the actual well-being of the population, as well as the factors that determine the conditions for the life of citizens of the country in accordance with economic growth; measuring the degree of satisfaction of needs for material goods and services in conjunction with social conditions and development of production.
Of particular note is the task of studying the patterns of formation and regional-dynamic trends in the standard of living of the population of the country as a whole, as well as in the context of individual socio-demographic groups of the population and types of households.
The basis for building a system of indicators and solving these problems is the materials of macroeconomic statistics, demographic statistics, labor statistics, trade statistics, price statistics. Much of the information collected is based on financial and financial statements, state tax service, Central Bank RF, pension fund RF and others, as well as on the materials of special surveys, censuses, and surveys.
Main sources of information are balance cash income and household expenditures and household sample surveys.
The balance of cash income and expenditures of the population is built at the federal and regional levels and is the basis for building a macro economic indicators. It reflects the scope and structure Money population, taking the form of income, expenses and savings. Incomes of the population are grouped in the balance according to the sources of funds and directions of their spending.
One of the types of state statistical monitoring of the standard of living of the population is selective household budget surveys.Surveys make it possible to obtain data for the accounts of the “Households” sector in the SNA, the distribution of incomes of various groups and strata of the population, and also to reveal the dependence of the level of material well-being of a household on its size and family composition, source of income, employment of family members in various sectors of the economy.
Currently, in line with the transition to international standards according to the methodology of the SNA, new macroeconomic indicators of the standard of living are being introduced. These include gross household disposable income, adjusted household gross disposable income, household final consumption expenditure and actual household final consumption.
5. Characteristics of the standard of living of the population
To characterize the standard of living, quantitative and qualitative indicators are used. Quantitative - determine the volume of consumption of specific goods and services, and qualitative - the qualitative aspect of the well-being of the population.
The standard of living is characterized by a whole block of indicators:
Top 10 countries with the highest and lowest average life expectancy at birth, both sexes, years, 2005 (WPDS)* Source: Population Reference Bureau. 2005, World Population Data Sheet. World Health Organization. The World Health Report, 2005. Geneva, 2005.
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Countries with the highest average life expectancy |
Countries with the lowest average life expectancy |
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Whole world-67 |
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Botswana |
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Iceland |
Swaziland |
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China(Hong Kong) |
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San Marino |
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Liechtenstein |
Sierra Leone |
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Norway |
Zimbabwe |
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Mozambique |
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Switzerland |
Afghanistan |
The standard of living of the population is associated with the concept of " income poverty". Absolutely poor is a person whose income is below a certain minimum.
The World Bank (WB) has established that for developing countries a person is considered poor if his annual income is less than $375 (PPP in 1985 US dollars) or about $1 a day. For the countries of Latin America, the World Bank has drawn a poverty line of $2 a day. In the countries of Eastern Europe and the former USSR, the poverty line is $4 a day. For industrialized countries, the US poverty line is used - $14.4 per day.
developed countries the national poverty line is relative, not absolute. According to the concept of relative poverty, a person is considered poor if the means at his disposal do not allow him to lead a lifestyle accepted in the society in which he lives. In the US, the relative poverty line is set at 40% of the median (average) income; in Europe within the framework of the Luxembourg International Income Study - 50%; in the Scandinavian countries - 60%.
The method of measuring poverty, officially adopted in Russia, is based on the concept of absolute poverty or the minimum need that ensures the maintenance of health and the preservation of working capacity (the composition of the minimum consumer basket). Valuation consumer basket, as well as the costs of mandatory payments and fees amount to the subsistence minimum. In the Russian Federation, both indicators are approved at least once every five years. In the Russian Federation, both indicators are approved at least once every five years. For the second quarter of 2006, the living wage for a Muscovite (for all groups of the population) averaged 5,159 rubles, and the minimum wage (SMIC) was 1,100 rubles.
On average in the Russian Federation, the minimum subsistence level is 2,653 rubles, and average salary equal to 8,530 rubles. Thus, the average Russian receives 3.22 consumer baskets every month.
In October 2006, the deputies of the State Duma adopted in the second reading the law “On consumer basket”, which slightly increased consumption rates. Thus, the rate of meat consumption per person per year will be 37 kg (or 3 kg per month), which is lower than the desired rate recommended by experts from the Research Institute of Nutrition Russian Academy medical sciences almost 2 times (60 kg per year). According to experts, the proposed norms are not only lower than the level achieved in the USSR, but also the level of UN humanitarian aid in Somalia. According to Management Today magazine, the highest salaries in the world are received by the leaders of American companies - 1.43 million dollars a year (about 120 thousand dollars a month). They are followed by their British counterparts - 747.4 thousand dollars. The third place is occupied by the French - 546 thousand dollars a year.
According to a report published by the Federation of European Employers in 2004, the highest average wages in Europe are paid in Denmark - 27.89 euros / hour, Switzerland - 22.03, Luxembourg - 20.03, Norway - 19.24 and Germany - 17.57. The French and Finns earn twice as little as the Danes per hour of work. The lowest average wages in Moldova are 0.32 euros/hour. In the ranking of 46 countries, Russia took the 40th position - about 1 euro / hour, or 4% of the amount that an average citizen of Denmark earns per hour. Behind Russia were Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine and Belarus.
In addition to these indicators, social transfers have a serious impact on the standard of living of the population. Thus, in Russia, the level of unemployment benefits is about 20% of the average wage previously received in the last 12 months of work. In Germany, the average benefit is 60% of the average wage. The amount of unemployment benefit in Norway is about $1,900 per month, in the USA - from $400 to $2,600, in Russia - from $55 to $116.
7.Quality of life of the population in science.
Interest in the problems of the quality of life of the population is observed among various kinds of sciences, which include economics, sociology, philosophy, medicine, etc. This kind of variety of approaches to assessing the quality of life of the population predetermined the numerous and ambiguous interpretations of the category "quality of life of the population", focusing on individual aspects. Despite a significant amount of work and a variety of approaches to interpreting the quality of life, in general, the scientific community agrees that this category is a capacious, multidimensional and complexly constructed concept. Controversial in the ongoing discussion are the issues of the components of the quality of life and various sets of indicators characterizing it. The purpose of this study is to review methodological approaches to assessing the quality of life of the population. The results of the study will allow in the future to build the author's methodological approach to assessing the quality of life of the population.
The quality of life is determined by the life potential of society, its constituent social groups, individual citizens and the correspondence of the characteristics of the processes, means, conditions and results of their life activity to socially positive needs, values and goals.
The quality of life is manifested in the subjective satisfaction of people with themselves and their lives, as well as in the objective characteristics inherent in human life as biological, psychological (spiritual) and social differences.
8. Statistics. Within the framework of international studies of the quality of life of the population, various approaches and indicators for its assessment have been proposed. One of the most commonly used measures of quality of life is the Human Development Index (HDI). This index is actively used by the United Nations (UN) in the framework of the Human Development Reports and has been calculated annually since 1990. This series reports are devoted to how the created living conditions can contribute to human development, that is, certain ideas are given about the relationship between the quality of life in different countries of the world. The HDI is calculated in three main areas:
Longevity as measured by life expectancy at birth (minimum is 25 years, maximum is 85 years).
Educational attainment as measured by the country's adult literacy rate (from 0 to 100%) and the total gross enrollment ratio.
Standard of living measured by GDP per capita at purchasing power parity in US dollars (from $100 to $40,000).
As a result, each of the listed indicators is translated into a scale from 0 to 1, after which the arithmetic mean value is calculated. Based on the calculations obtained, a ranked list of countries is compiled according to the HDI indicator in the range from 0 to 1. Countries are classified into four groups: with very high, high, medium and low levels of human development. The leading positions, according to the Human Development Report 2013, are occupied by such highly developed countries as Norway, Australia, the USA, the Netherlands, etc. . Russia, on the other hand, is in the group with a high level of human development (55th place in the ranking), approximately on the same level as Belarus (50th place), Uruguay (51st), Romania (56th) and Bulgaria (57th). Distinctive feature Russia is that the block characterizing the level of education is at a high level, commensurate with the leading countries. However, the low expected duration and size of GDP per capita do not allow climbing higher in the rankings. Despite the fact that the authors of the report consider the HDI as a summary indicator of human development in the country, or “the so-called quality of life”, the list of its components does not provide an exhaustive description of this problem. At the same time, it can give a kind of initial idea of the state of quality of life of the population of the countries of the world and their distribution relative to each other. According to the study, the top positions are occupied mainly by Swiss and German cities. In 2011, the city with the most high rates quality of life was Vienna (Austria). In general, the best in terms of quality of life are cities located in Europe (in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Great Britain, Spain, France), North America (cities located in Canada and the USA), as well as Japan. Russia is represented by only two cities - Moscow and St. Petersburg.
In the presented rating, they were not included in the top 100 most favorable cities in terms of quality of life and ranked only 163 and 165 based on GDP per capita at purchasing power parity in US dollars); 2. Health (life expectancy at birth, years); 3. Political stability and security (based on relevant ratings); 4. Family life (based on the divorce rate per 1000 population, an index is built in the range from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest)); 5. Public life (an index is built in the range from 0 to 1, based on data on church attendance or trade union membership); 6. Climate and geography (latitude to distinguish between warm and cold climates); 7. Job security (unemployment rate, in %); 8. Political freedoms (data on indices of political and civil freedoms, range from 1 (full provision of rights and freedoms) to 7 (significant restrictions); 9. Gender equality (ratio between average incomes of men and women).
According to the ranking of countries built on the basis of this index, among the 80 countries of the world included in this study, Russia in 2013 is in 72nd place (with a value of 5.31), located next to such countries as Azerbaijan (5.60), Indonesia (5.54), as well as Syria (5.29) and Kazakhstan (5.20). The first three places are occupied by Switzerland (8.22), Australia (8.12) and Norway (8.09). 12.
Since the quality of life also includes indicators of the moral and psychological climate and spiritual comfort, an important complementary component is the subjective feeling of happiness. The idea of a high quality of life is associated by the population with a happy life (i.e., the successes achieved, satisfaction with their social position, status, living conditions, family life, profession, work, specialty, salary, well-being in general), in connection with which neglect this aspect limits the interpretation of the subjective component of the quality of life. As part of the annual global international survey of the Gallup International Association "Global Barometer of Hope and Despair" conducted in December 2011 among 58 countries of the world, the Happiness Index was calculated. Contrary to many ratings among the countries of the world in terms of the quality of life of the population, the results of the study showed a slightly different distribution. The top five "happiest" countries in the world included Fiji, Nigeria, the Netherlands and Ghana. Russia in this rating took 40th place, being on the same level with such countries as the USA (38th place), Pakistan (39th) and Hong Kong (41st). A distinctive feature of Russia is the fact that there are significantly fewer happy people than in the world as a whole (39% versus 53%), but there are also fewer unhappy people (8% versus 13%). At the same time, the highest proportion of the part of the population that regards their position as "neither happy nor unhappy" (42%).
9. Study of the quality of life of the population.
As the researchers note, the state of happiness is a certain cultural feature of a particular country (region) and does not depend directly on its real economic situation and the expectations associated with it.
Therefore, pessimism about financial situation is not able to radically reduce the population's internal sense of personal happiness, and therefore these subjective characteristics are necessary in the system of indicators of the quality of life of the population. Of interest are the studies conducted at the All-Russian Center for the Level of Life, in particular V. N. Bobkov, who notes that the quality of life is the level of development and the degree of satisfaction of the whole complex of needs and interests of people. The author presents a list of indicators of the quality of life in relation to the main areas of human life. These areas include: working life, the sphere of development of people's abilities, family life, life and health maintenance, life of the disabled, leisure, environment, life in extreme economic situations, concern for the future. The method of extremely critical (threshold) values of indicators of the state of society, developed by S. Yu. Glazyev and V. V. Lokosov, deserves special attention.
Extremely critical is such a value of the indicator, beyond the boundaries of which indicates a threat to the functioning of the economy and the life of society due to a violation of the normal course of the processes reflected by this indicator. 13.
Accordingly, there are two thresholds, the first characterizes the maximum allowable value, the second - the minimum, denoting the boundaries of the interval of values acceptable for the normal functioning and development of the system. Thus, the authors emphasize the need to systematically measure the indicators of the socio-economic state and, based on the analysis, determine their relation to the critical values, in order to manage socio-economic development. The difference between inter-country and intra-country approaches to assessing the quality of life of the population lies in the number of blocks of indicators characterizing it. When compiling the ratings of the countries of the world in terms of the quality of life of the population, in most cases, the use of those parameters that most maximally cover all spheres of human activity and the factors influencing them is noted. This specificity is explained by differences not only in the qualitative composition of the population, the level of economic development of the country, etc., but also in ethno-cultural characteristics, geographical and climatic conditions. However, integral indicators of the quality of life can also be presented in a reduced form. In this case, the values of complex indicators embedded in its structure are replaced by one indicator, the value of which correlates with it. Intra-country assessments are characterized by significant detail of the studied parameters. In the conditions of Russian realities, the complexity of assessing the quality of life of the population is determined by its territorial features. The territory of the Russian Federation occupies 17098.2 thousand square meters. km., which is divided into 9 time zones and located in 3 climatic zones: temperate, arctic and subarctic. adjustments to the qualitative state of the country's population.
An additional factor is the heterogeneity of the regions in terms of their socio-demographic, national, cultural and other characteristics, predetermined by historical features. Therefore, ignoring these facts when assessing the quality of life reduces its information content. However, it should also be taken into account that the study of the quality of life refers to the problem of studying and managing complex social processes that are difficult to formalize. That is, we are talking about a system of socio-economic relations in which the most important parameters do not always correspond to the specific requirements of modeling.
10.Quality indicators
Indicators of working conditions. Indicators of working conditions in the practice of international statistics include the following information, closely related to the demographic characteristics of the population:
1) limits of working age;
2) the established and actual duration of the working week (by branches and sectors of the economy); fourteen.
3) duration of paid leave;
4) indicators of working conditions directly at the workplace (level of dust, noise, vibration, various types of radiation; monotony of work, uncomfortable posture, the need to move a lot, etc.).
Indicators reflecting the level of occupational diseases, occupational injuries and mortality in the workplace are directly dependent on working conditions. These include:
a) the accident frequency rate, which is determined by dividing the number of accidents by the average number of employees;
b) the indicator of the average duration of disability, which is the ratio of the total number of days of disability to the number of victims in accidents;
c) the coefficient of severity of accidents, which is calculated as the ratio of the total number of days of incapacity for work to the total number of man-days worked;
d) the death rate from accidents, defined as the ratio of the number of deaths at work to the total number of victims or to the average number of employees for this period;
Indicators of living conditions and leisure. The study of living and leisure conditions is based on an analysis of the directions for using the income received and the share of expenditures on various goods and services in general expenses.
The analysis of the structure and level of consumption of the main types of goods and services per capita or family is based on the criterion of the rationality of the structure of family expenses proposed by the German statistician E. Engel in the 19th century: with an increase in family income, the share of food costs decreases, and the share of expenses for satisfying cultural and other non-material needs increases significantly.
The level of consumption of certain types of food, clothing, footwear, provision of housing, furniture and other durable goods and various types of services is usually calculated on an annual basis per person or family and analyzed in dynamics over a certain period of time, and is also compared as with scientifically based national consumption standards, and with the corresponding indicators of other countries.
Incomes of the population are used either to cover current expenses or for savings. The current expenditures of the population include the costs of food, drinks and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, heating and lighting; furniture, home equipment and home care; health care costs; for transport and communications; for education, culture, physical culture and sports, recreation and tourism; for other services and material goods.
It should be emphasized that this grouping of current expenditures for each country has its own characteristics, depending on the prevailing statistical practice.
Property and monetary savings are also often referred to as indicators of material well-being, since current income does not always accurately reflect the level of real consumption.
Savings of the population is the difference between income and current expenses. Savings can be in cash or in kind. Monetary savings represent either an increase in money in the hands of the population, or an increase in investments in financial institutions, or an increase in investment in securities(shares, bonds, certificates, etc.). Savings in kind are expressed as an increase in the value of land owned by the population, fixed capital (housing, outbuildings, transport, etc.) and inventories.
However, often international comparisons in terms of the share of savings in income are very conditional due to differences in inflation rates and the difficulties of accounting for differences in the quality of both consumed and accumulated goods.
When characterizing housing conditions, international statistics primarily single out the owner of the home. To this end, the entire housing stock is divided into own, rented and municipal. Due to the fact that some owners have several residential properties, the statistics also distinguish between primary residences (where the user spends most of the time) and secondary residences.
When studying the quality of housing, groupings are used according to the number of storeys, according to the material of the walls, according to the height of the ceilings, according to the degree of its equipment with communal amenities. For own housing, the size of the plot of land belonging to him is indicated.
For a generalized characteristic of the provision of the population with housing, such indicators are used as the number of people living in dwellings that do not meet the established standard, and its share in the total population; the number of rooms per inhabitant. At the same time, the housing standard in Western countries assumes the presence of one room for each tenant plus one common room.
As for the provision of the population with various durables, international statistics calculate the number of durables on average per 100 families, or per 1000 people. This applies to cars, refrigerators and freezers, televisions and telephones, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and polishers, etc.
The characterization of the population's consumption of the most important types of food and non-food products is carried out by determining the indicators of the average annual per capita consumption of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, bread and bakery products and other products both for the entire population and for individual socio-professional groups. At the same time, the consumption of food products is considered not only in terms of quantity, but also in terms of the calorie content of the consumed products, as well as the content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins in them.
To study the level of education and culture of the population, the UN Statistical Commission recommends a number of indicators. These include:
a) the number of illiterates and their proportion in the total number of persons over the “literacy age” (this age is determined by each country depending on specific conditions);
b) the number of school-age children not attending school;
c) the number and structure of students in primary and secondary schools;
d) the number of university students per 100,000 inhabitants;
e) circulation of books per 100 thousand inhabitants, as well as a number of other indicators.
Health indicators include:
a) the number of health facilities and their capacity, which is measured either by the number of visits per shift or by the number of beds in a hospital;
b) provision of the population with medical personnel (number of doctors per 1000 inhabitants both in general and in certain specialties; training of medical personnel);
c) performance indicators of medical institutions (number of patients in hospitals; number of cured patients; mortality in medical institutions, etc.);
d) the total volume of health care financing from all sources.
11.Integral indicator of the level and quality of life
As an integral indicator of the level and quality of life of the population at different times, it was proposed to use the national income per capita, the share of food expenditures in total household expenditures, the relative mortality rate, defined as the ratio of the number of deaths of people aged 50 and over to the total number of deaths, average life expectancy of the population, an indicator of free time, put forward on the basis of famous saying K. Marx that free time in the future will become a measure of social wealth.
The use of aggregate economic indicators for this purpose is based on the assumption that the countries most developed in economic terms have a higher level of social development. Often the basis for cross-country comparisons is GDP or ND per capita, expressed in the currency of one of the countries, either in US dollars or in PPP currencies.
However, all these indicators have various shortcomings associated either with differences in the calculation methodology adopted in different countries, or with difficulties in their interpretation. In this regard, attempts were made to develop complex indices for determining the level of development of a country, the standard of living in it.
An example of such an index is the “tension indicator” proposed by Russian statisticians. Its components are: 1) the degree of provision with consumer goods; 2) the level of crime; 3) the degree of dissatisfaction of the population with a complex of unresolved socio-political, economic and environmental problems. Based on these data, an index was calculated in more than 100 cities and in all regions of the country. 17.
The index value from 0 to 0.4 indicates social stability; from 0.4 to 0.8 - about social tension; from 0.8 to 1.4 - about local conflicts; from 1.4 to 2.0 - about social explosions in the region; over 2.0 - about massive social explosions.
In international statistical practice, the complex index was one of the first (in 1970) proposed by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. This index was called the index of social development and included 16 most important (9 social and 7 economic) interdependent indicators. The authors of the study concluded that at levels of per capita income of no more than $500 social development exceeded the economic one.
Subsequently, Maurice D. Morris developed an index of physical development of the quality of life, which takes into account three indicators:
life expectancy at the age of 1 year;
the infant mortality rate;
· Spreading literacy among the adult population.
The aggregate index was calculated as the arithmetic mean of the remaining ones, which were evaluated on a scale from 1 point (worst option) to 100 (best option). Morris' results showed little correlation between the quality of life index and per capita GDP.
Some countries with high per capita GDP scored low on the index and vice versa. had a physical development index of quality of life twice as high as Saudi Arabia with a per capita income of $12,720. The above example shows the possibility of a significant improvement in the quality of life even before the start of a significant increase in per capita income.
In 1987, the Washington Population Crisis Committee published the International Disadvantage Index. The index was a composite index based on 10 indicators characterizing the well-being of people depending on their financial situation, demographic situation, health and social order. Calculations showed that at that time the most unfavorable living conditions were in Angola and Mozambique, and the most favorable - in Switzerland and Luxembourg. In 1990, UNDP made an attempt integrated assessment socio-economic development of countries and for the first time published the Human Development Index (HDI). is a scale from 1 to 0. high level development is considered an indicator of 0.8 and above, medium - from 0.5 to 0.799 and low - below 0.5.
It takes into account three types of data: life expectancy, educational attainment (literacy has increased and overall participation in primary, secondary and higher education) and standard of living as measured by real purchasing power. The index represents When assessing the quality and standard of living, expert assessments can be used.
For example, American non-profit organization The “Committee on the Demographic Crisis”, based on official statistics, the results of questionnaire surveys and expert assessments for 1989, conducted a study of the quality of life in 100 largest cities in the world. QoL was assessed on a 10-point scale with the following partial indicators: the cost of food (the share of family expenses on food), living conditions(number of inhabitants per room), quality of housing (percentage of houses and apartments with running water and electricity), communications (number of telephones per 100 inhabitants), education (percentage of children enrolled in school), health care (child mortality per 1000 live births), public safety (number of murders per year per 100,000 inhabitants), silence (outdoor noise level), traffic (average speed at rush hour), air cleanliness.
In the United States, a simplified approach is actively used to calculate the integral indicator of quality and standard of living using the poverty index. The latter represents the sum of inflation and unemployment indices.
In the second half of the 80s. The international organization United Nations Development Program (UNDP) proposed the Human Development Index (HDI) as a generalizing indicator of the QoL of the population.
