Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Coupling Coordination Degree between Urban–Rural Integration and Digital Economy

Abstract

The coupling and coordination of digital economy and urban–rural integration can help narrow the urban–rural gap and help realize comprehensive modernization. Based on the data of 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, the index systems of digital economy and urban–rural integration were constructed, respectively, by using the entropy method, and the coupling coordination degree between digital economy and urban–rural integration was calculated by using the coupling coordination degree model. The spatio-temporal evolution characteristics were analyzed by using the spatial Durbin model, and the influencing factors of the coupling coordination degree were deeply decomposed. The results showed that the coupling coordination degree of digital economy and urban–rural integration has been significantly improved in the whole country during the decade, with the overall spatial distribution characteristics of “high in the east and low in the west” and “high in the south and low in the north”. The growth momentum of the backward provinces was relatively better, which have more obvious characteristics of positive spatial agglomeration. The level of economic development, government support, technological innovation and industrial structure had positive promoting effects on the coupling coordination degree. Except for the negative spatial spillover effect of government support, the three other factors all had promoting effects on the coupling coordination degree in neighboring provinces. The effect intensity of influencing factors also had regional heterogeneity.