Heterogeneous effects of e-government on urban and rural public services: the perspective of the digital divide

This article studies the effects of e-government on both urban and rural public services, to explore its impact on promoting equity in public services. Using individual-level data from the China Family Panel Studies, the empirical results show that e-government raises satisfaction with public services among both urban and rural populations; however, the magnitude of this positive effect is significantly smaller for rural populations. Further analysis reveals that the digital divide is an important factor underlying these disparities. Given that rural populations exhibit less internet access and lower level of digital literacy, improvements in internet access and digital literacy have a more pronounced impact on e-government’s role in promoting rural public services than on its role in urban public services. Such improvements enable rural populations to more effectively utilize online government service platforms to access public service information, handle administrative procedures, and communicate with government agencies. Moreover, among rural populations, older individuals and those in less developed regions face greater digital barriers, and consequently benefit less from e-government in terms of public service improvements. These findings suggest that bridging the digital divide is essential to strengthen the role of e-government in enhancing rural public services and promoting equity in public services.