Strategic directions of sustainable development of rural areas in Ukraine

The aim of the article is to define and systematize a set of strategic directions for ensuring the sustainable development of rural areas of Ukraine. Methods – when summarizing the scientific and methodological approaches of the study, analysis and synthesis, analogy and comparison were used. To assess the state and trends of socio-economic development of rural areas, production, demographic processes, employment of rural population, and incomes, the economic and statistical methods (comparative analysis, average and relative values, trend analysis, graphical method, index analysis, etc.) were used in analytical researches. Using the method of generalization, the strategic directions of the State policy to ensure the sustainable development of rural areas are determined. Using the methods of abstract-logical tools, the intermediate and final conclusions and proposals are formulated. Results – the features of the rural areas development of Ukraine are determined. Based on the results of the analysis, the trend of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural production on the background of narrowing the sphere of agricultural labor, shortage of jobs, low wages, decrease in the level of employment of the rural population, deformation of its age structure, depopulation of rural settlements, etc. was revealed. The strategic directions of sustainable development of rural areas of Ukraine in social, economic, environmental and institutional-investment vectors are proposed. Conclusions – the development of social processes in rural areas foresees the intensification of the development and gradual implementation of a set of regulatory, legal and organizational and economic measures, which should include, first of all, the implementation of certain strategic directions for the sustainable development of rural areas of Ukraine, which are justified in the course of the study.