The Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on the High-Quality Development of Rural Industries—Evidence from China

Digital inclusive finance (DIF) is gradually becoming an important driver of the high-quality development of rural industries. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2013 to 2023, building the high-quality development of rural industries index system and the digital new quality productivity (DNQP) index system, this study tests the impact and mechanisms of DIF on the high-quality development of rural industries. The main results show that DIF significantly promotes the high-quality development of rural industries. Furthermore, DIF facilitates this development by fostering DNQP. The study also identifies threshold effects, with DIF and DNQP serving as threshold variables. Additionally, the study examines the heterogeneity of the empowerment effect, demonstrating that this promoting effect is more pronounced in non-major grain-producing areas and regions with high-level fiscal support for agriculture. The findings provide theoretical and empirical evidence to support sustainable rural industrial development and offer policy implications for leveraging digital finance in rural contexts.