Digital economy and urban settlement intentions of rural-to-urban migrants in China: Empirical evidence from quasi-natural experiments

IF 1.9 4区社会学 Q3 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy Pub Date : 2025-06-12 DOI:10.1007/s12061-025-09674-2

Haiyang Lu, Keya Zeng, Weiliang Hu

{"title":"Digital economy and urban settlement intentions of rural-to-urban migrants in China: Empirical evidence from quasi-natural experiments","authors":"Haiyang Lu, Keya Zeng, Weiliang Hu","doi":"10.1007/s12061-025-09674-2","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Although there has been a large body of studies examining the determinants of urban settlement intentions of rural-to-urban migrants, little attention has been concentrated on the role of technological advances, particularly digital technologies. Drawing on nationally representative data and employing a difference-in-differences (DID) method, we investigate the impact of China’s recent digital economy development on the urban settlement intentions of rural-to-urban migrants. We find that the development of the digital economy has a significant positive impact on the urban settlement intentions of rural-to-urban migrants. This result is robust to several sensitivity tests of the empirical specification. Heterogeneity analyses demonstrate that this positive effect is more pronounced for the new-generation and highly educated rural-to-urban migrants. Further analysis indicates that the mechanisms underlying the increased urban settlement intentions include the accumulated human capital, the improved quality of the environment and the relaxation of <i>hukou</i> qualifications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":46392,"journal":{"name":"Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy","volume":"18 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12061-025-09674-2","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Although there has been a large body of studies examining the determinants of urban settlement intentions of rural-to-urban migrants, little attention has been concentrated on the role of technological advances, particularly digital technologies. Drawing on nationally representative data and employing a difference-in-differences (DID) method, we investigate the impact of China’s recent digital economy development on the urban settlement intentions of rural-to-urban migrants. We find that the development of the digital economy has a significant positive impact on the urban settlement intentions of rural-to-urban migrants. This result is robust to several sensitivity tests of the empirical specification. Heterogeneity analyses demonstrate that this positive effect is more pronounced for the new-generation and highly educated rural-to-urban migrants. Further analysis indicates that the mechanisms underlying the increased urban settlement intentions include the accumulated human capital, the improved quality of the environment and the relaxation of hukou qualifications.

查看原文本刊更多论文

数字经济与中国农民工城市定居意愿：来自准自然实验的经验证据

虽然已有大量研究审查了农村移民到城市定居意愿的决定因素，但很少关注技术进步，特别是数字技术的作用。利用具有全国代表性的数据，采用差分法（DID），研究了中国近期数字经济发展对农民工城市定居意愿的影响。研究发现，数字经济的发展对农民工的城市定居意愿有显著的正向影响。这一结果是稳健的几个灵敏度测试的经验规范。异质性分析表明，这种积极影响在新一代和高学历的农民工中更为明显。进一步分析表明，人力资本的积累、环境质量的改善和落户条件的放宽是城市落户意愿增加的机制。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy Multiple-

CiteScore

3.80

自引率

5.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： Description The journal has an applied focus: it actively promotes the importance of geographical research in real world settings It is policy-relevant: it seeks both a readership and contributions from practitioners as well as academics The substantive foundation is spatial analysis: the use of quantitative techniques to identify patterns and processes within geographic environments The combination of these points, which are fully reflected in the naming of the journal, establishes a unique position in the marketplace. RationaleA geographical perspective has always been crucial to the understanding of the social and physical organisation of the world around us. The techniques of spatial analysis provide a powerful means for the assembly and interpretation of evidence, and thus to address critical questions about issues such as crime and deprivation, immigration and demographic restructuring, retailing activity and employment change, resource management and environmental improvement. Many of these issues are equally important to academic research as they are to policy makers and Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy aims to close the gap between these two perspectives by providing a forum for discussion of applied research in a range of different contexts Topical and interdisciplinaryIncreasingly government organisations, administrative agencies and private businesses are requiring research to support their ‘evidence-based’ strategies or policies. Geographical location is critical in much of this work which extends across a wide range of disciplines including demography, actuarial sciences, statistics, public sector planning, business planning, economics, epidemiology, sociology, social policy, health research, environmental management. FocusApplied Spatial Analysis and Policy will draw on applied research from diverse problem domains, such as transport, policing, education, health, environment and leisure, in different international contexts. The journal will therefore provide insights into the variations in phenomena that exist across space, it will provide evidence for comparative policy analysis between domains and between locations, and stimulate ideas about the translation of spatial analysis methods and techniques across varied policy contexts. It is essential to know how to measure, monitor and understand spatial distributions, many of which have implications for those with responsibility to plan and enhance the society and the environment in which we all exist. Readership and Editorial BoardAs a journal focused on applications of methods of spatial analysis, Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy will be of interest to scholars and students in a wide range of academic fields, to practitioners in government and administrative agencies and to consultants in private sector organisations. The Editorial Board reflects the international and multidisciplinary nature of the journal.