Weng Jie, Li Wang, Zheng Xinru
School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, China.
Heliyon. 2024 Aug 8;10(16):e36070. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36070. eCollection 2024 Aug 30.
The expansion of the rural middle-income group has been a global focus as it contributes to narrowing income gaps and reducing social inequality. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study examines the impact of Internet use on the mobility of rural low-income groups to the middle-income group from the perspective of income mobility. Controlling for household and provincial-level variables, the results of this study indicate that Internet use significantly promotes the mobility of rural low-income groups to the middle-income group, thereby facilitating the expansion of the rural middle-income group. These conclusions hold even after conducting endogeneity and robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that household entrepreneurship and non-agricultural employment are crucial pathways through which Internet use facilitates the mobility of rural low-income groups to middle-income groups. Further investigation shows that mobility from rural low-income to middle-income groups is more difficult in central-western regions and among those with lower levels of education. Internet use exacerbates the "digital divide" between different areas and education groups. In particular, the effect of Internet use in promoting mobility from rural low-income to middle-income groups is more pronounced in the eastern regions and among those with higher levels of education. The results of this study provide new evidence on the role of Internet use in expanding the rural middle-income group.
农村中等收入群体的扩大一直是全球关注的焦点，因为它有助于缩小收入差距和减少社会不平等。本研究利用中国家庭追踪调查（CFPS）的数据，从收入流动性的角度考察了互联网使用对农村低收入群体向中等收入群体流动的影响。在控制家庭和省级变量后，本研究结果表明，互联网使用显著促进了农村低收入群体向中等收入群体的流动，从而推动了农村中等收入群体的扩大。即使在进行内生性和稳健性检验后，这些结论依然成立。机制分析表明，家庭创业和非农业就业是互联网使用促进农村低收入群体向中等收入群体流动的关键途径。进一步研究表明，中西部地区以及教育水平较低的人群从农村低收入群体向中等收入群体的流动更为困难。互联网使用加剧了不同地区和教育群体之间的“数字鸿沟”。特别是，互联网使用在促进农村低收入群体向中等收入群体流动方面的作用在东部地区和教育水平较高的人群中更为明显。本研究结果为互联网使用在扩大农村中等收入群体中的作用提供了新的证据。
