Estimation Methods of the Digitalization Level of Economic Systems: Comparative Analysis of Russian and Foreign Approaches

Abstract

Urgency. The newest digital technologies play an important role in stimulation of economic growth of the countries now and their application provides unprecedented productivity growth in all spheres of public production. Working out of the toolkit allowing to measure progress in digital transformation of this or that region is necessary for efficiency estimation of these processes. Goal. The purpose of the article is comparative analysis of approaches to measurement of the level of digital transformation of the economy in different countries. Problems. To achieve the goal it is necessary to study Russian and foreign approaches to the digitalization level estimation of the countries at various stages of digital transformation and with various social and economic conditions, and to analyze their coverage and availability. Methodology. General scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, comparative and statistical analysis were applied in the research. Russian and foreign approaches to estimation of economic systems digitalization are analyzed with comparative analysis. Results. The authors consider methodological approaches of estimation of digitalization level in Russia, the European Union, the USA, China and Argentina, and standardized indicators used by international organizations. There are many estimation methods of digitalization level in the world practice. Some of the techniques, for example, Digital Economy and Society Index, National Index of Digital Development, allow to make complex analysis, the others (Index of Development of Electronic Government) are highly specialized. However, the average data of digitalization estimation is not always enough. Index of Digital Life of the Russian regions is applied to the analysis of digital development of the Russian regions, allowing to estimate digitalization level through consideration of digital services supply and demand. The basic advantage of digitalization estimation at the state level is adaptability to social and economic conditions of the state. Conclusions. In the research the features of digital economy development defining the development vector of social and economic systems are analyzed. Problems and prospects of Russian economy digitalization under conditions of social and economic space differentiation are investigated. The analysis of the best practices of digital economy development of the world countries to define possible reference points of economy digitalization in Russia is carried out. The methodical approach to estimation of economic and social effects of Russian digitalization is substantiated.