Governance efficiency of rural human settlement environment in the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China: Regional differences, dynamic evolution, and influencing factors

Based on an index system established from the dimensions of ecology, life, and production, this study measures the governance efficiency of rural human settlements in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) using the super-efficient slack-based measure model. The Gini coefficient, Markov chain, and Tobit regression model are employed to analyze the YREB’s regional disparities, dynamic trends, and influencing factors, providing a theoretical basis for promoting rural revitalization and regional coordination development. The results show that: (1) The overall governance efficiency exhibits a fluctuating uptrend, with a spatial pattern of “downstream > midstream > upstream”. (2) Moreover, regional differences of efficiency show a fluctuating downtrend, with inter-regional disparities as the primary sources. (3) The Markov chain indicates strong convergence in low-efficiency regions and low stability in high-efficiency regions. (4) Finally, governance efficiency can be significantly influenced by financial support, informatization, economic development, and education level. These results demonstrated the need for differentiated policies to narrow regional gaps and enhance synergistic, sustainable improvement in rural human settlements.