Skip to main content
Dryad

Data from: The spatiotemporal evolution and formation mechanism of the digital economic gap: Based on the case of China

Wu, Shujuan1; Li, Jinting1; Huang, Daqian1; Xiao, Jianhua1

Published Jul 01, 2024 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8w9ghx3rn

Data files

Jul 01, 2024 version files 245.71 KB

Abstract

We analyzed the formation mechanism of digital economic gap (DEG), measured the DEGs at four levels (the gaps in information and communication technology accessibility, application skill, digital economic outcome, and efficiency), and explored its spatiotemporal evolution in China by using DEA–Malmquist index method, Gini Coefficent method, Kernel density, and Geodetector. Data from 263 cities in China between 2011 and 2019 were collected. The results demonstrated that (1) The four levels of DEGs showed different trends. The first-, second- and third- level DEGs showed ceiling effects, and the fourth-level DEG oscillated upward. (2) The distribution location of the four levels of DEGs varied. The first- and second-level DEGs shifted at a stable low degree. The third-level DEG increased steadily and polarized. The fourth-level DEG increased steadily and formed a multi-polarization trend, with one strong polar. (3) The long-term transfer trend of the DEGs at four levels changed little, and showed a phenomenon of “club convergence”. (4) As for the formation of DEGs, the first-level DEG was influenced by most factors and was education- and policy-driven; the second-level DEG was profit-driven; the third-level DEG was profit- and education-driven; the fourth-level DEG was human resource-driven.