Moscow, St. Petersburg Lead Russia's Regions in Socioeconomic Survey

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's federal cities Moscow and St. Petersburg are heading the list of the country's regions by social and economic indicators, while the oil-rich Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Area ranks third, a recent survey showed on Tuesday.

The survey prepared by the RIA Rating agency, which is part of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, ahead of the upcoming St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) revealed that Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Area, the Moscow Region and the Republic of Tatarstan were the leaders of the list based on the results of 2016.

A total of 33 of Russia's regions increased their positions in the rating, while 40 others have come down, the survey showed.

According to the survey, the leading regions focus on finances, industry and natural resources, while the bottom ones have poor industry and specialize mostly on agriculture.

The 21st SPIEF is scheduled for June 1-3 and is expected to gather high-ranking politicians and prominent business leaders from dozens of countries. Rossiya Segodnya is the official media partner of the forum.