In modern socio-economic theories, human capital is recognized as the most important resource for sustainable development. Human capital is a labor force with innate, formed and accumulated knowledge, skills, abilities and health, which, when used in the labor process, provide certain benefits to its owner in the form of income and the economy of the country as a whole. However, it is often ignored that the individual's ability to accumulate this capital is not equal and directly depends on the conditions of his existence, the economic environment in which he lives and operates. In this article, we will look at how material conditions determine the possibilities of forming and implementing human capital, and how this affects the economy as a whole.