How Can Digital Villages Improve Basic Public Services Delivery in Rural Areas? Evidence from 1840 Counties in China

Zijun Mao, Xiyue Zhu, Qi Zou () and Wen Jin
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Zijun Mao: College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Xiyue Zhu: College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Qi Zou: School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Wen Jin: College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: Digital transformation is spreading from urban to rural areas, and the construction of digital villages has become a key growth point for rural sustainable development globally. Digital villages improve the level of basic public services delivery in rural areas via the penetration of digital technology. However, few studies have empirically investigated the theoretical mechanisms underlying the impact of digital villages on various aspects of rural basic public services. To address these gaps, this study investigates the impact mechanisms of digital villages on rural basic public services delivery in terms of accessibility, equity, agility, holistic nature and participation. Using 1840 counties in China as the research sample, this study applies the entropy method to extract a composite index of basic public services and performs correlation, regression, and heterogeneity analyses to examine the effects of digital villages on basic public services delivery. Empirical analysis results show that the construction of digital villages is positively associated with the level of basic public services in rural areas. Meanwhile, heterogeneity analysis results confirms that this relationship is mainly observed in eastern counties but not observed in central and western counties. These findings provide a basis for using digital inclusion to improve basic public services delivery in rural areas and achieve balanced development across regions.

Keywords: digital villages; basic public services; digital services; digital inclusion; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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