数字基础设施建设对农村居民收入不平等的影响效应研究

Research on the Impact of Digital Infrastructure Construction on Income Inequality of Rural Residents

数字基础设施作为承载数据要素的重要工具和发展数字经济的有力支撑,势必会引起社会生产生活方式的深刻变革,同样对于提升农村居民收入水平、优化农村内部收入分配格局的作用不容忽视。文章以“宽带中国”试点政策为背景,探究了数字基础设施建设对农村居民收入不平等的影响效应及其作用机制,并基于使用鸿沟和接入鸿沟进一步考察了可能存在的异质性影响。研究发现,数字基础设施建设可以缓解农村居民收入不平等,在经过一系列稳健性检验后,结论依旧成立。数字基础设施建设更有利于通过促进低收入群体非农就业、提高农业效率、改善人力资本缓解农村居民收入不平等。异质性分析表明,中西部、偏远地区的农村居民仍存在数字基础设施接入鸿沟,收入相对剥夺程度较高、以工资性和经营性收入为主要收入来源、从事纯农业型职业的农村居民受到的减缓作用更大。文章结论为推动数字乡村建设以改善农村内部收入分配格局、实现共同富裕提供了一定的理论依据。

As an important tool for carrying data elements and a powerful support for the development of digi⁃tal economy,digital infrastructure will inevitably lead to profound changes in the way of social production and life and its role in raising the income level of rural residents and optimizing the pattern of income distribution within the countryside should not be overlooked.Against the background of the“Broadband China”pilot policy,the article explores the effect and mechanism of digital infrastructure construction on the income inequality of rural residents,and further examines the possible heterogeneous effects based on the usage and access divides.It is found that digital infrastructure development can alleviate the income inequality of rural residents,and the conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests.Digital infrastructure develop⁃ment is more conducive to mitigating the income inequality of rural residents by promoting off-farm employ⁃ment for low-income groups,increasing agricultural efficiency,and improving human capital.Heterogeneity analyses show that the digital infrastructure access divide still exists among rural residents in central and west⁃ern,remote areas,and that the mitigating effect is greater for rural residents with higher relative income depri⁃vation,whose main source of income is wage and business income,and who are engaged in purely agriculturaltype occupations.The conclusions provide some theoretical basis for promoting the construction of digital vil⁃lages in order to improve the pattern of income distribution within rural areas and realize common prosperity.