Khmeleva G.A., Belyaeva G.I. HUMAN-CENTERED ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE REGIONS OF THE VOLGA FEDERAL DISTRICT: A COMPOSITE INDEX, TYPOLOGY, AND LINKAGES TO KEY DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/ek.jvolsu.2026.2.5
Galina A. Khmeleva
Doctor of Sciences (Economics), Professor, Department of Regional Economics and Management, Samara State University of Economics, Sovetskoi Armii St, 141, 443090 Samara, Russian Federation, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4953-9560
Galina I. Belyaeva
Senior Lecturer, Department of National and World Economy, Samara State Technical University, Molodogvardeyskaya St, 244, 443100 Samara, Russian Federation, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7801-8655
Abstract. The article examines the economic growth of regions in the Volga Federal District through the lens of human-centeredness. To this end, the authors have advanced a methodology for assessing a Composite Index of Human-Centeredness (IHC) by incorporating stages for evaluating its relationship with key regional economic development indicators and for typologizing regions based on the stability and balance of their human-centered development. The IHC comprises five sub-indices: welfare and comfortable living environment, health and longevity, culture and education, labor and self-realization, and innovation and digital infrastructure. This detailed breakdown allows for not only an assessment of the overall level of human-centeredness but also the diagnosis of developmental “bottlenecks.” Based on Rosstat data for 2014–2023, the index values are calculated for the subjects of the Volga Federal District. A strong positive correlation is empirically confirmed between the index and GRP per capita, labor productivity, and the region’s migration attractiveness. The results, which possess scientific novelty, enable the identification of four regional types: stable and balanced, stable but unbalanced, unstable but balanced, and unstable and unbalanced development. The scientific novelty is characterized by the quantitative relationship established between IHC and both GRP per capita and labor productivity using panel data from the regions of the Volga Federal District. The proposed methodology serves as an effective tool for monitoring and comparative analysis to support managerial decision-making aimed at the comprehensive development of human potential and enhancing the stability of the regional economy. Based on the findings, measures are proposed for developing the regional economy within the framework of the human-centeredness concept.
Key words: human-centered regional development, Composite Index, typology, GRP per capita, labor productivity, migration attractiveness, stability, balance.
HUMAN-CENTERED ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE REGIONS OF THE VOLGA FEDERAL DISTRICT: A COMPOSITE INDEX, TYPOLOGY, AND LINKAGES TO KEY DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS by Khmeleva G.A., Belyaeva G.I. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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