Abstract
<jats:p>The study is based on the results of a statistical analysis of data reflecting rural depopulation, which negatively impacts the achievement of strategic sustainability in a territorial space characterized as a unified rural-urban framework. It is demonstrated that increased urbanization, accompanied by population outflow from small towns located in rural areas to large, dominant cities in the territory, contributes to changes in the spatial structure of the region and disrupts the economic connectivity of urban and rural areas. It is emphasized that the socioeconomic stability of territories can be achieved by building a unified rural-urban space. The authors draw parallels between the influence of demographic factors on the socioeconomic development of rural areas in the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, which, despite its high level of urbanization, continues to maintain a significant share of agriculture in GDP. This comparison allows for the construction of a reference model proving that rural depopulation is not an objective factor of the urbanization era, but the result of management decisions made without regard for the integrity of the region’s territory. A demographic analysis was conducted using the Southern Federal District as a case study to identify the causes of rural depopulation at the local level, using municipalities in the Rostov Region as an example. The article compares demographic development trends in rural areas with economic indicators reflecting the performance of the region’s economic complex. It emphasizes that the development of measures to preserve the rural population should be integrated into comprehensive territorial development programs, and the principles for their development include a transition to territorially integrated planning, diversification of financing mechanisms, and the adaptive use of local resources.</jats:p>