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Has Electronic Commerce Growth Narrowed the Urban–Rural Income Gap? The Intermediary Effect of the Technological Innovation

Dan Wang · 2023 · Sustainability

Summary. E-commerce growth in China reduces the urban-rural income gap, according to analysis of provincial panel data. Measured by per capita express volume, e-commerce expansion significantly narrows income disparities between cities and countryside, even after controlling for urbanization, industrial structure, and human capital. The effect persists in robustness tests using instrumental variables. E-commerce growth operates as a direct mechanism for adjusting income distribution rather than through technological innovation channels.

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Wang, D.. (2023). Has Electronic Commerce Growth Narrowed the Urban–Rural Income Gap? The Intermediary Effect of the Technological Innovation. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086339

Details

DOI
10.3390/su15086339
Countries
China
Regions
Asia
Categories
broadband-and-digital, entrepreneurship, regional-innovation-systems
Added
2026-04-28