数字经济是否缓解了中国城市的“鲍莫尔成本病”?

Has the Digital Economy Eased the“Baumol Cost Disease”in Chinese Cities?

“鲍莫尔成本病”是影响中国产业结构和经济增长的重要因素。本文使用2003—2019年中国城市层面的面板数据实证考察了数字经济对“鲍莫尔成本病”的影响及其机制。研究发现:第一,数字经济显著缓解了中国城市的“鲍莫尔成本病”,且这一作用具有长期性,并在数字经济相对发达的城市中更为显著;第二,数字经济缓解城市“鲍莫尔成本病”产生的经济效应最终体现为提高了城市经济增长率;第三,机制分析表明,数字经济会通过促进城市创新和拉动居民消费这两种途径缓解“鲍莫尔成本病”。

“Baumol cost disease”is an important factor affecting industrial structure and economic growth.Using the panel data at the urban level in China from 2003 to 2019,this paper empirically examines the impact of digital economic development on Baumol’s cost disease and its mechanism.The study found that:first,digital economic development significantly alleviates the problem of urban Baumol’s cost disease in China,and this effect has more protracted nature,and is more significant in cities with better digital economic development as well as better overall economic development;second,the economic effect generated by the digital economy to alleviate the urban Baumol’s cost disease is ultimately embodied in the improvement of China’s economic growth rate;third,the mechanism analysis shows that the development of the digital economy will alleviate the problem of urban cost disease in China through two ways:promoting urban innovation from the supply side and boosting residents’consumption from the demand side.