The welfare effects of digital infrastructure: Micro-level evidence from China

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dc.contributor.authorXie, Yuan-Qi
dc.contributor.authorLiu, Hui
dc.contributor.otherEkonomická fakultacs
dc.date.accessioned2024-12-03T11:22:14Z
dc.date.available2024-12-03T11:22:14Z
dc.description.abstractOver the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has achieved remarkable progress in rural infrastructure development. Although some empirical studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between the provision of digital infrastructure and increases in agricultural output and farmer income in various developing countries, research exploring the impact of digital infrastructure on rural households’ welfare is rare. This gap represents a significant issue for policymakers and academic researchers in developing countries today. By matching micro-survey data with county-level digital infrastructure investment data, this paper empirically examines the effects and mechanisms of digital infrastructure on the welfare of rural households using ordered probit and mediation models. We found that digital infrastructure has a significant impact on rural households’ overall welfare levels. Mechanism testing revealed that digital infrastructure operates through at least three distinct pathways, positively affecting both the economic and non-economic welfare of rural households. Additionally, the level of human capital and regional economic development exhibit notable heterogeneous effects on the impact of digital infrastructure. The validity of the results was demonstrated through instrumental variable regression and a series of robustness tests. The reason behind this result lies in the fact that the improvement of digital infrastructure in rural areas enhances households’ ability to access resources, develop skills, and engage in decision-making processes. This objectively improves their living standards and meets their needs. The empirical findings of this study have important policy implications for strengthening rural digital infrastructure, further enhancing rural households’ digital skills, and ultimately improving their overall welfare.en
dc.formattext
dc.identifier.doi10.15240/tul/001/2024-5-020
dc.identifier.eissn2336-5604
dc.identifier.issn1212-3609
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.tul.cz/handle/15240/175626
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherTechnická Univerzita v Libercics
dc.publisherTechnical university of Liberec, Czech Republicen
dc.publisher.abbreviationTUL
dc.relation.ispartofEkonomie a Managementcs
dc.relation.ispartofEconomics and Managementen
dc.relation.isrefereedtrue
dc.rightsCC BY-NC
dc.subjectDigital transformationen
dc.subjectrural digital economyen
dc.subjectcapability theoryen
dc.subjecthousehold behavioren
dc.subjecthuman capitalen
dc.subject.classificationD10
dc.subject.classificationI31
dc.titleThe welfare effects of digital infrastructure: Micro-level evidence from Chinaen
dc.typeArticleen
local.accessopen
local.citation.epage53
local.citation.spage33
local.facultyFaculty of Economics
local.filenameEM_4_2024_3
local.fulltextyes
local.relation.abbreviationE+Mcs
local.relation.abbreviationE&Men
local.relation.issue4
local.relation.volume27
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