Assessing the structural quality of regional economies: complexity level and multiple specialization

Today, there is growing interest in studying the level of economic complexity, which is considered one of the factors capable of influencing economic growth. The economic complexity index is calculated based on export data, which allows analyzing the diversity of exported goods, determining the complexity of the production process, and reflecting the level of knowledge and skills required in the production of exported goods. The purpose of the research is to determine the level of economic complexity of regions and to identify the relationship between this indicator and the Gross Regional Product (GRP). A modified method of the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) is used. Based on the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, a binary matrix is constructed, reflecting the structure of regional commodity specialization and enabling an assessment of the level of economic diversification. A correlation analysis between the complexity index and regional GRP was conducted. The empirical basis of the study consisted of official data from the Federal Customs Service of Russia on exports by commodity groups for 2021, covering 84 Russian regions. The results showed a weak negative correlation between the complexity index and GRP (r=−0.129). Excluding oil and gas regions changed the nature of the relationship to weakly positive (r=0.067), indicating a strong influence of the extractive sector on the analysis results. Thus, the study did not reveal a stable relationship between economic complexity and GRP, but it identified goods with high prevalence and unique products, as well as determined the most diversified regions. The identified patterns require further additional research. The obtained results can be applied in management practice for formulating more evidence-based socio-economic policies, taking into account the structural characteristics of regions.