With the increasing level of digital economic development, the deepening synergy between data elements and other production factors will have a profound impact on regional income patterns. Based on panel data from 30 provinces and cities in China (excluding Tibet) from 2011 to 2021, this paper calculates the Theil index of regional income and employs a double-fixed spatial Durbin model for empirical testing. The findings reveal that: (1) The level of digital economic development and regional income disparities in the 30 provinces and cities exhibit spatial correlation, and the development of the digital economy generally significantly exacerbates income disparities across different economic regions; (2) The impact of the digital economy on regional income disparities shows significant spatial heterogeneity among different provinces and cities in China. Specifically, the development of the digital economy significantly widens income disparities in the central and western regions, while it somewhat alleviates income inequality in the eastern regions. Finally, based on the analysis of the research findings, three targeted recommendations are proposed to narrow regional income disparities through the digital economy.

Digital economy;Regional income disparities;Spatial spillover effects

[1] XU Xianchun,ZHANG Meihui. Research on the measurement of the scale of China's digital economy--Based on the perspective of international comparison[J]. China Industrial Economy,2020,(05):23-41.DOI:10.19581/j.cnki.ciejournal.2020.05.013. [2] HAN Fengqin,CHEN Yaping. Connotation Characteristics, Risk Challenges and Development Suggestions of Digital Economy[J]. Journal of Hebei University (Philosophy and Social Science Edition),2022,47(02):54-61. [3] ZHANG Yifan,XU Xianchun. Research on index and index system related to digital economy[J]. Finance and Trade Economics,2024,45(04):5-19.DOI:10.19795/j.cnki.cn11-1166/f.20240418.001. [4] Xu Lan,Wang Kaifeng. A review of research on the connotation and measurement index system of digital economy[J]. Statistics and Decision Making,2024,40(12):5-11.DOI:10.13546/j.cnki.tjyjc.2024.12.001. [5] LIU Jun,YANG Yuanjun,ZHANG Sanfeng. Research on the measurement and driving factors of China's digital economy[J]. Shanghai Economic Research,2020,(06):81-96.DOI:10.19626/j.cnki.cn31-1163/f.2020.06.008. [6] Zhou Yuanren,Chen Menggen. Theoretical ideas and practical assessment of digital economy measurement[J]. China Social Science Evaluation,2023,(01):73-84+159. [7] CHEN Yongwei,CHEN Zhiyuan,RUAN Dan. Development level and spatial convergence analysis of digital economy in Chinese provinces[J]. Statistics and Information Forum,2023,38(07):18-31. [8] ZHAO Wei,PENG Yuting. Does the development of digital economy affect income inequality? --An empirical test based on spatial panel model[J]. Exploration of Economic Issues,2022,(12):35-51. [9] SONG Peng,YIN Menglei,ZHANG Huimin. Can the narrowing of urban-rural income gap in the context of common wealth contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions from residents' living sources[J]. Chongqing Social Science,2024,(06):86-106.DOI:10.19631/j.cnki.css.2024.006.006. [10]Liu H., Hong Y. Ying. New urbanization path of “inverted U-shaped” urban-rural income gap in underdeveloped areas--an empirical analysis based on Guizhou Province[J]. Journal of Guizhou University of Finance and Economics,2022,(06):98-108. [11]Shu-Chang Huang. The impact of digital economy on the urban-rural income gap - the moderating role based on the advanced industrial structure[J]. Science and Finance,2023,(12):85-91+97. [12]XIAN Chengyi, WU Zeqiang, HE Xin. A study on the impact of digital finance on the distribution of residents' income and the transmission mechanism--evidence from 287 prefecture-level cities in China[J]. Financial Economy,2024,(05):77-88.DOI:10.14057/j.cnki.cn43-1156/f.20240701.006. [13]Li JJ, Peng YC, Ma SZ. Financial inclusion and China's economic development:Multidimensional connotation and empirical analysis[J]. Economic Research,2020,55(04):37-52. [14]Qian Pengyue,Sun Shu. Digital economy development and poverty alleviation-an empirical study based on spatial Durbin model[J]. Wuhan Finance,2019,(06):39-46. [15]ZHOU Hui,SUN Ge,ZHOU Galai. Can digital economy narrow the urban-rural multidimensional gap? --A resource mismatch perspective[J]. Modern Finance and Economics(Journal of Tianjin University of Finance and Economics),2022,42(01):50-65.DOI:10.19559/j.cnki.12-1387.2022.01.004.

Chongqing Municipal Postgraduate Research and Innovation Program in 2023: “Research on the Internal Mechanism and Support Path of Wealth Accumulation Influenced by Digital Economy” (Project No. CYS23681).

DOI： https://doi.org/10.62639/sspjiss14.20250202

Published： 2025