SUBNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN INEQUALITY PERCEPTIONS AND DEMAND FOR REDISTRIBUTION IN RUSSIA

The article presents the results of inequality perception assessment for the Russian macro-regions (Federal districts) and the demand for redistribution in the context of gender, age, and socio-economic characteristics. The assessment is based on data from the eighth wave of the European Social Survey (2016). The findings show that people in the Central Federal District were more accepting of inequality, while those from Siberia and the Far East were less tolerant. The perception of inequality plays a significant role in shaping the demand for policies aimed at reducing inequality (redistributive policies). Macro-regions fall into three clusters: 1) a cluster with a high tolerance for inequality and a moderate demand for redistribution (southern Russia, central regions, and the North Caucasus), 2) regions with an average tolerance and moderate demand (the Volga region and the North-West), 3) regions with a low tolerance and high demand (Siberia and the Far East). The results of the study confirm that there is interregional differentiation in the assessments of the importance of social equality and justice, as well as in the demand for redistribution within the regions of the Russian Federation. These differences can contribute to increased interregional disparity, reduced investment attractiveness for regions, and an increase in the concentration and centralization of resources in specific territories, potentially harming uniform spatial development efforts.