Consumer potential of households, its differentiation and dynamics in the new economy: evidence from Russia

Household is a production unit of a special kind, producing basic consumer goods directly included in its utility function. The production function of the household and full satisfaction of needs determines the formation of human potential. Due to under-consumption, the quality of human potential suffers. Most of the household consumption is a productive consumption aimed at the reproduction and accumulation of the household's human potential. Consumer activity in the new economy complement the concept of "human potential" through the realization of consumer potential, which is reproduced in the form of consumer capital. Consumer potential of the household determined primarily by income. In the case of Russian transitional economy, the polarization of consumption characteristics is only an external manifestation of the socioeconomic processes took place at the previous stages of economic development. Consumer behavior of the population of Russia shows a very high marginal propensity to consume that generally fluctuates between 0.7 and 0.9 over the years. The consumption function of Russian households in 2001-2015 shows that the relationship between income and consumer spending is clear. A low level of real incomes forces people to direct the income growth mainly to consumer spending. During periods of stabilization of the economic situation in Russia, the marginal propensity to consume decreases.