Factors of rural development in the context of decentralisation: empirical research

The purpose of this research is to analyse the impact of demographic and socio-economic factors on the assessment of the directions of rural area development in the context of the administrative and territorial reform in Ukraine. This article is based on the analysis of the results obtained in the course of a sociological survey conducted by the authors in 2018 concerning residents of the Znob-Novgorod United Territorial Community (UTC) of Sumy region in order to identify problems and development priorities when elaborating the Development Strategy for the period 2019-2025. Three age groups were identified: up to 35 years old (29.7%), 35 years old to 60 years old (52.4%), and over 60 years old (17.9%), which reflects all major age groups of UTC residents. Young people and seniors are more positive about life in the community, as the main responsibility for solving economic and domestic problems lies with middle-aged people. The share of positively adjusted respondents is growing, with the increase in the level of income received from the minimum to the average in the region. A number of problems, such as environmental, infrastructural and educational issues, are of greater concern to middle-aged people than to young people and older generations. Persons with a higher level of education, in comparison with other major problems, consider insufficient social initiative and activity © Institute of Society Transformation, 2019