Does Digitalization Mean Equality? Digital Finance and Balanced Development Between Counties

Chang Gan, Xinying Sun, Mihai Voda and Kai Wang ()
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Chang Gan: School of Management, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430048, China
Xinying Sun: School of Management, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430048, China
Mihai Voda: Faculty of Geography, Dimitrie Cantemir University, 540545 Targu Mures, Romania
Kai Wang: College of Tourism, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-20

Abstract: Digitalization has been remodeling the pattern of economic development. Digital finance, the important manifestation of digitalization in this financial field, has profound effect on reducing inequalities (Sustainable Development Goal 10). With data from 2014 to 2022 across 71 counties in the Wuling Mountain Area, our research reveals the non-linear role of digital finance in the balanced development between counties. Moreover, it explores the moderating effects of tourism development and educational level in reshaping this impact. It is found that there is a U-shaped relationship between digital finance and balanced development between counties. With the improvement of government support, the positive effect of digital finance becomes positive and stronger. We demonstrate that tourism development and educational level exert a negative moderating effect on the association between digital finance and balanced development between counties. This research has far-reaching implications for the policy of coordinated development between regions in China.

Keywords: digital finance; balanced development between counties; tourism development; reduce inequalities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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