互联网使用能否改善收入分配?——基于中国家庭追踪调查数据的实证分析

Can Internet Use Improve Income Distribution?—An Empirical Analysis Based on Chinese Household Tracking Survey Data

收入不平衡是中国经济发展不平衡的一个主要表现。本文基于2014年中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS)数据,分析了互联网使用与收入分配的关系,研究发现互联网使用对中国居民收入差距扩大具有显著的阻滞作用。考虑到反向因果导致的内生性问题,本文应用互联网使用行为态度距和社区互联网使用作为工具变量,研究表明结论可靠。异质性分析显示,这种作用在低学历、中年、农村低收入群体中表现得更为显著。机制分析表明,互联网使用在不同方面是互联网使用影响收入分配的重要传导机制。因此,提高贫困地区信息基础设施建设水平,继续贯彻落实“互联网+农村”相关政策,促进互联网使用是缩小居民收入差距的重要手段。

Income inequality is a major manifestation of China's unbalanced economic development.Based on the 2014 China Household Tracking Survey(CFPS)data,this paper empirically analyzes the relationship between Internet use and income distribution,and finds that Internet use has a significant blocking effect on the expansion of income gap of Chinese residents.Considering the endogenous problems caused by reverse causality,this paper uses the Internet use behavior and attitude distance and community Internet use as instrumental variables,indicating that the verification conclusion is reliable.In addition,the heterogeneity analysis shows that this effect is more significant in the low-level education,middle age and rural low-income groups.The mechanism analysis shows that the importance attached to the way of Internet use is an important transmission mechanism for the impact of Internet use on income distribution.Therefore,improving information infrastructure construction in poor areas,continuing to implement the relevant policies"Internet+rural areas"and promoting Internet use are important means to narrow the income gap between residents.