Urban-rural population mobility, government governance and regional coordinated development

Abstract

Urban-rural population mobility has increasingly become a key factor shaping economic disparities and regional coordination in developing economies. This paper examines the impact of urban-rural population mobility on regional coordinated development and highlights the moderating role of government governance. Employing panel data from Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2010 to 2023 and satellite-derived nighttime light data, we demonstrate that urban-rural population mobility significantly narrow regional economic disparities. Theoretically, our model underscores that surplus rural labor migration enhances efficiency through reallocation but that the benefits depend critically on government governance capacity, which reduces institutional barriers, improves infrastructure, and corrects market distortions. Empirical results confirm that governance capacity amplifies the coordination effect of population mobility, with pronounced impacts observed in areas characterized by superior transportation access, cultural diversity, and balanced resource endowments. These findings imply that achieving balanced regional development necessitates complementary institutional reforms alongside policy measures fostering greater urban-rural integration.