Effects of Uncertain Times on Standards and Quality of Life

Abstract

National standards of living and quality of life depend not only on economic well-being, but also on how well-organized the social system is in its ability to maintain human development and psychological stability. In this regard, the COVID-19 pandemic gave start to social uncertainty. This article describes how the parameters of standards and quality of life changed during the post-pandemic uncertain times and how various public policies contributed to maintaining the key aspects of human development. The authors compared the indicators of the standards of living in Russia in 2019–2021 with those in other countries with developed economies. They also identified the risk areas in these spheres and showed how state policy measures maintained the standards and quality of life during the uncertain times. The research relied on statistical observation and grouping, comparative analysis, graphical method, logical method, and systematic approach, as well as on the method of absolute, relative, and average values. In 2019–2021, the key indicators of the standards of living decreased. As a result, the quality of life also went down. Russia’s standards of living differ from those in some advanced economies, e.g., Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, etc. However, most countries demonstrated very similar dynamics in their response to the external challenges of the pandemic. On the one hand, the uncertain times caused by the epidemic saw a drop in the parameters of the standards and quality of life. On the other hand, they created new development opportunities. The degree to which a country was ready to use these opportunities depended on the readiness of its society to change and the adaptability of its public administration.