Economic and other development aspects of Baltic countries: estimation issues

Abstract

Presented paper aims to reveal how much different approaches to countries’ development affect theirs comparison results. Several variants of social and economic development estimations of Lithuania, Latvia and Es-tonia are being performed. Each variant represent different approach to development perception. The difference lies in emphasis, which, in one case is put on economic, and, in another one, on social and other aspects of devel-opment. Juxtapose of development estimation variants is expected to reveal range, within which resulting index fluctuates, and impacts ranging of countries. Integrated complex countries’ development index is computed by using several multi-criteria methods. Authors of the paper have suggested system of indicators, which is being employed for research purposes. Data used for calculations embrace time period of years 2000-2006. Corollaries of investigation let us judge how much chosen approach to countries’ evaluation impact estimation result and, re-spectively, signal if devising of policy implications requires of taking into account estimation premises.