Content №4 от 2024
Spatial Heterogeneity and Spatial Autocorrelation of Economic Activity Levels in Russian Regions
The article examines the unique characteristics of spatial spillover effects in the Russian economy and their connection to the level of economic activity and its variability across regions. The study employs methods based on Markov chain theory with discrete time and continuous state space to analyze the spatial dynamics of regional indicators. The findings reveal that not only a commonly low level of economic activity but also significant disparities in its levels between regions hinder the emergence of positive spatial externalities. Regions that lag considerably behind their neighbors do not experience accelerated growth; instead, they fall even further behind both their neighbors and the national average. Conversely, regions with smaller differences in economic activity levels and those with above-average economic activity are more likely to experience positive spatial spillover effects. This leads to a convergence in economic activity levels and results in positive spatial autocorrelation across regions. In such cases, regions catching up with their neighbors benefit from the greatest acceleration in development, while leading regions tend to slow down slightly. Thus, spatial autocorrelation, which reflects the degree of similarity among neighboring regions, can both result from and reinforce the processes of spatial concentration or dispersion of economic activity.
