The Impact of Rural Digitalisation on Public Service Resilience: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Economic Belt Region

Digital village construction has fundamentally reshaped rural public service delivery; however, empirical research on its effectiveness in enhancing public service resilience remains limited. This study addresses this gap by examining 110 cities in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2013 to 2021, utilising the Driver-Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework alongside a double machine learning approach. The findings indicate that digital village construction significantly strengthens rural public service resilience, particularly in the dimensions of driving forces, impacts, and responses. This enhancement is primarily mediated by three mechanisms: digital financial inclusion, improved local governance efficiency, and technological innovation. Furthermore, urbanisation acts as a key moderator, strengthening the positive relationship between digital village construction and service resilience. These insights provide policymakers with a robust framework for optimising digital strategies across regions with varying urbanisation levels, thereby fostering more resilient and sustainable rural development.