地方政府数字基础设施对城乡收入差距的影响

The Impact of Local Government Digital Infrastructure on the Urban-Rural Income Gap

摘要: 本文基于2011~2023年中国31个省级面板数据，运用双向固定效应模型、中介效应模型与异质性分析方法，实证检验了地方政府数字基础设施建设对城乡收入差距的影响及其作用机制。研究结果表明：数字基础设施建设显著缩小了城乡收入差距，经过一系列稳健性检验结论依然可靠。机制分析发现，数字基础设施主要通过促进农村非农就业和数字普惠金融发展两条路径间接缩小城乡收入差距，其中非农就业的中介效应更为突出。异质性分析进一步揭示，数字基础设施的减贫效应在中西部地区和初始数字化水平较低的区域更为显著，而在东部发达地区则因数字基建趋于饱和而边际效应减弱。本文据此提出建议，以充分发挥数字基础设施在促进城乡融合发展、推动共同富裕中的积极作用。

Abstract: Based on panel data from 31 Chinese provinces spanning 2011 to 2023, this study employs a two-way fixed effects model, a mediation effect model, and heterogeneity analysis to empirically examine the impact of local government digital infrastructure construction on the urban-rural income gap and its underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that digital infrastructure construction significantly narrows the urban-rural income gap, and this finding remains robust after a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that digital infrastructure indirectly reduces the urban-rural income gap mainly through two pathways: promoting rural non-agricultural employment and advancing digital inclusive finance, with the mediation effect of non-agricultural employment being more pronounced. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the poverty reduction effect of digital infrastructure is stronger in the central and western regions and in areas with initially low levels of digitalization, while the marginal effect diminishes in the developed eastern regions due to approaching saturation of digital infrastructure. This paper accordingly proposes suggestions to fully leverage the positive role of digital infrastructure in promoting urban-rural integration and common prosperity.