DEVELOPMENT OF THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS IN THE MARKET CONDITIONS: ECONOMIC AND STATISTICAL OVERVIEW

Abstract

The article presents a retrospective view on social and economic situation of the states that emerged in the post-Soviet space that is based on official statistics. The methodological approach, which gives, in author’s opinion, the possibility (despite the small list of selected indicators) is sufficient to objectively assess the impact of market reforms on the economy and social situation of the population. The format of the comparative analysis is chosen to analyze three groups of indicators: number and demographic characteristics of the population; size and dynamics of GDP (total and per capita); the foreign trade turnover to GDP ratio. The conclusion is made about strengthening of the trend (that was formed in the Soviet period) towards development of different types of demographic reproduction of the population in the European and Asian parts of the CIS.

An important place in the article is given to the presentation of the selected results of the international comparative analysis of the levels of economic development of the CIS countries and some foreign countries. There have been conflicting trends in socio-economic development of some of the CIS countries, confirming (with due regard to national circumstances) the idea that the real socio-economic effect of market reforms are not the same as the originally announced objectives.