Human potential is the defining strategic resource of any state and the nation’s greatest wealth. Today, it is the basis for the growth of the state’s capacity both in the domestic and international markets and, in general, the basis for the socio-economic progress of society. The importance of human potential as the highest value of society requires awareness of the need for its preservation, rational use, and effective reproduction, which is the key to the harmonious development of socio-economic systems. Since the problem of the development of human potential has long been the subject of discussions by many leading domestic and foreign researchers and today, there is no single approach to the interpretation of this category, it is appropriate to consider the results of major scientific studies related to this issue. The available interpretations of the “human potential” category are extremely diverse but usually, they take into account two aspects: the resource component of human potential - a set of certain resources that can be used to achieve certain goals and the presence of certain circumstances and opportunities. Thus, the content of the category of human potential and the process of evolution of this concept in the plane of scientific research are investigated in the article as a result of the analysis of the major scientific studies related to this issue. The article substantiates that this concept is broader than the category of labor resources or human capital and, as a result, includes the latter. The problems of preservation and development of human potential as the main strategic resource of the state and the greatest wealth of the nation are outlined. The author’s interpretation of the content of the human potential category, as well as the concept of human potential capitalization, is argued. The main approaches to the formation of the structure of human potential are considered, and the vision of its main components is proposed based on the experience of leading scientists-researchers. 

human potential, labor potential, human capital, socio-economic development, human potential capitalization, human potential structure