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Культурное разнообразие российских регионов и экономический рост
The article is devoted to estimation of the impact of cultural diversity on economic growth in the Russian regions in the framework of the neoclassical theory of economic growth. The model developed by R.Barro and X.Sala-i-Martin, called β-convergence, was used as a theoretical basis for the study. The main finding is that cultural diversity has an impact on economic growth but the focuses on the regions with higher population density and regions with small populations give controversial results. So, in general, ethnic fragmentation of society is insignificant factor for income convergence of the regions, but in regions with a low number of economically active population it is a negative factor for economic growth. Generally, diversity of the population by region of origin, generated by internal migration, is a significant positive factor for the convergence of regions, but it happens at the expense of the regions with a high population density. A similar pattern is observed with the impact of diversity by country of origin generated by international migration. Religious diversity has a statistically significant impact on the income growth rate only in regions with a small number of economically active population, and it is negative.