Content №4 от 2020
Religious heterogeneity: a barrier or a factor of economic development in Russia
The article raises the problem ofgrowing religious heterogeneity of the population as a result of present-day globalization. We discuss related studies that have analyzed the influence of diversity (in religion, inter alia) on social welfare the ambiguity of their conclusions. This paper continues their work in this area, evaluating the religious diversity in Russian regions with indices that are the most accurate to reflect opposing views on the population heterogeneity within the society up to date. The first is the Simpson’s Diversity Index, to measure the expected exchange; the second is the Polarization Index, to capture conflict. The calculation relies on the data from the Atlas of Religions and Nationalities of Russia and the Federal Agency for Nationality Affairs. By analyzing the influence that the specified indices have on gross output and investment in the private sector, we confirm their statistical significance for the models under consideration: religious heterogeneity affects economic growth indicators positively, while polarization exerts a negative impact.
