The article, based on a study of the key provisions of the concept of sustainable development and the essence of the concepts of «paradigm» and «system» found that the modern socio-ecological-economic paradigm is a system of selective views, compromises and actions of society. through available economic, institutional, financial, social mechanisms and tools to harmonize relations between the population, government and business. It is determined that the formation of socio-ecological-economic paradigm of sustainable development involves its territorial differentiation, which means the transition to a model that takes into account the economic and natural specifics of certain areas, ensuring a balance between economy, social sphere and ecology. It is proposed to consider the socio-ecological-economic paradigm of sustainable development according to the types of relationships formed between its components: economic-ecological, which provide for the impact of economic activity on the environment. Reflecting the impact of the environment on production conditions, form the raw material base; socio-economic relations provide the spheres of economic activity with labor resources, through which the research and production process takes place; socio-ecological reflect the interaction of the environment and society, their mutual influence. The purely economic ties that arise due to the influence of economic laws, and are the basis for the formation of certain patterns of economic processes and relations, and social ties that arise during the functioning of society and characterize the features and stages of social relations; institutional ties are formed in the process of historical development of the socio-economic environment in the context of reconciling the interests of social groups, etc. A scheme of sustainable development of rural areas as complex systems has been developed in three-dimensional space, which includes, depending on the availability of key links in the system and provides for deviations from its sustainable development.