Regional Differences in the Development of Digital Inclusive Financial Services in China

Abstract

Based on the concept of digital inclusive finance, this paper profoundly analyzes the spatial and temporal patterns and regional differences in developing Digital inclusive finance in China. The development index of digital inclusive finance from 2011 to 2020 published by The Digital Finance Research Center of Peking University was selected to measure the development level of digital inclusive finance in all provinces, and the Theil index was adopted to measure the regional gap in the development of digital inclusive finance in 31 provinces and cities of China. The study found noticeable regional differences in the development level of digital inclusive finance in China, which was narrow over time. Regions with the lower development level of digital inclusive finance were catching up with regions with higher levels faster. Therefore, it is suggested that the government formulate development policies based on the advantages and disadvantages of developing digital inclusive finance in the region and accelerate the construction of digital financial infrastructure.