The wings of digitalization: rural digital governance and subjective well-being

Hanjie Wang, Wenpeng Huang and Jiali Han

China Agricultural Economic Review, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 717-735

Abstract: PurposeA substantial body of literature has extensively explored the nexus between governance and subjective well-being, yet the burgeoning phenomenon of the digital transformation of rural governance has been largely overlooked. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of rural digital governance on residents’ subjective well-being.Design/methodology/approachUsing the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS) data, this study empirically investigates the effect of rural digital governance on the subjective well-being of rural residents. The conditional mixed process (CMP) model is employed to address the potential endogeneity issue.FindingsThe empirical results reveal that rural digital governance significantly enhances the subjective well-being of residents, a robust conclusion upheld after a series of robustness tests. This positive effect is attributed to augmenting rural residents’ income, bolstering village security, enhancing political trust and ameliorating the living environment. Notably, a crucial revelation emerges in the form of a “digital divide” dilemma within the landscape of rural digital governance. We underscore the challenge faced by “digitally disadvantaged” groups, characterized by low incomes, limited education and advanced age, in improving their own subjective well-being through rural digital governance when compared with “digitally advantaged” counterparts.Originality/valueThis study provides novel insights that deepen our understanding of the ways in which rural digital governance shapes the subjective well-being of rural residents. Besides, we also shed light on the dilemma of the “digital divide” within the realm of rural digital governance.

Keywords: Rural digital governance; Subjective well-being; Happiness; Digital divide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:caerpp:caer-05-2024-0142

DOI: 10.1108/CAER-05-2024-0142

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