The Toolbox for Recognizing the Groups of Ukraine’s Regions by Indicators of Disparities in their Social and Economic Development

Abstract

The research is aimed at forming a toolbox for recognizing regional communities according to socio-economic development indicators. A carried out study of scientists’ works demonstrated a lack of evaluation tools for studying groups of regions by levels of disparities, which complicates the study of interregional disparities and the impact of various factors upon them. The paper carries out a classification of levels of disparities in the regions by spheres of development, formes a mathematical apparatus for recognizing and forecasting of levels of disparities in the regions. The groups of regions by levels of disparities in seven spheres of development is researched: general economic, socio-demographic, structural, socio-economic, foreign economic, natural-ecological, production. Three groups of regions were identified by levels of disparities in these areas of development: with balanced sphere disparities, with controlled (restrained) sphere disparities, with uncontrolled (unrestrained) sphere disparities. A spatial-dynamic assessment of disparities in the development of clustered groups of regions is advisable for the development and implementation of regional policy measures aimed at regulating the regional development disparities. The originality of the presented work is the study of cluster groups of regions by the levels of disparities in various spheres of life, which allows to assess interregional disparity in the complex and develop a number of measures to resolve the disparities in the development of regions within the country.