The Impact Mechanism of Digital Rural Construction on Rural Social Welfare and Spatial Spillover Effects

The extensive progress of digital rural development in China has attracted significant scholarly interest regarding its prospective effects on rural social welfare. This paper utilizes panel data from 30 provincial-level administrative regions in China spanning 2011 to 2023 to assess the development levels of digital rural construction and rural social welfare, while examining the impact mechanism and spatial disparities of digital rural construction on rural social welfare. The results reveal that during the sample period, both digital rural development and rural social welfare in China exhibited a consistent increasing trajectory, albeit the western region remained more underdeveloped. ; digital rural development had a significant positive impact on rural social welfare, a conclusion that remains valid after multiple robustness tests and endogeneity adjustments; agricultural technological progress serves as the key transmission channel through which digital rural development influences rural social welfare; the impact of digital rural development on rural social welfare exhibits characteristics of nonlinear marginal increasing returns and spatial spillover effects. Furthermore, the welfare-enhancing effects of digital rural development vary across regions, with a more pronounced impact on rural social welfare in central and western regions as well as in areas with higher levels of economic development.