This article considers uneven socio-economic development of territories. The experience of
many countries convincingly demonstrates that the heterogeneity of space is a significant obstacle to the
sustainable development of regions. Having analyzed the works of foreign and domestic scientists, the
authors prove that in the course of transformation of the views on spatial development, there gradually
evolved an idea of uneven socio-economic development as an objective feature of any territory. The study
classifies factors that influence the socio-economic inequality of territories and determine its complexity.
The authors pay attention to the fact that when studying development unevenness the researchers use
different terms (“differentiation”, “asymmetry”, “polarization”, “disproportion”) that are often treated
as similar. Therefore, the paper puts forward a hypothesis that there exists a relationship between these
concepts that have similar meaning, and the special nature of this relationship is manifested in the fact that
these concepts represent different stages of unevenness. This hypothesis is confirmed by the analysis and
synthesis of a number of works of domestic and foreign researchers. The authors conclude that each stage
of unevenness reflects a certain degree of fragmentation of the territory (or territories) by socio-economic
indicators. Transition from one stage to another (from differentiation to asymmetry, from asymmetry to
polarization) is caused by a combination of factors that reinforce differences in the direction specified.
Taking into account the fact that uneven development of territories can lead to negative consequences
affecting their socio-economic development, it should be noted that the government should play an
important role in their elimination. The authors attempt to expand the existing notions of uneven socioeconomic development of the territory. Theoretical generalizations contained in the article can be used
as materials for discussion in the scientific discourse. In addition, they may be of interest to the scientific
and educational activities
Keywords
differentiation, asymmetry, unevenness of socio-economic development of the territory, polarization, disproportion