Regional vitality and population growth: The reality of the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Yi Liu and Miao Lyu

Finance Research Letters, 2025, vol. 74, issue C

Abstract: The vitality of regional development is a powerful driver of both population growth and sustainable development. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the interconnections between 27 factors across six dimensions of regional development vitality that affect population growth. The study uses panel data from 11 provinces in China's Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2012 to 2022 to investigate the configurational pathways through which regional development vitality impacts population growth. The findings suggest that educational resources are critical for promoting population growth. When educational resources are identified as the primary condition, three population growth pathways emerge: “dual-core drive of infrastructure and educational resources,” “infrastructure and educational resources led by multiple driving forces,” and “dual-core drive of educational resources and health protection”. Three additional non-demographic developmental pathways emerge when educational resources are considered a missing core condition. Policy recommendations include boosting investments in educational resources, establishing a diversified driving mechanism, and addressing weaknesses in regions with low population growth rates. The research findings provide theoretical support and policy guidance for aligning various factors that contribute to regional development vitality to enhance population growth.

Keywords: Regional development vitality; Population growth; Yangtze River Economic Belt; Sustainable development; Educational resources (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:finlet:v:74:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325000534

DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.106788

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