Can the integration of digital and real economies promote high-quality development of population urbanization: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta region
To clarify the impact of the integration of the digital and real economies on the high-quality development of population urbanization, this study uses panel data from 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2013 to 2023 as samples and constructs a coupling evaluation model to determine the level of digital and real economies integration in each city. Fixed effect and mediating effect models were employed to empirically explore the impact and mechanisms of digital and real economies integration on the high-quality development of population urbanization. The results show that: 1) Digital and real economies integration can effectively promote the high-quality development of population urbanization. After considering endogeneity issues and conducting robustness tests, this conclusion still holds. 2) Mechanism analysis indicates that digital and real economies integration significantly promotes the high-quality development of population urbanization through three pathways: promoting economic agglomeration, optimizing the employment structure, and enhancing green innovation levels. 3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that this promoting effect is more significant in large cities and low economic development cities. 4) The positive impact of digital and real economies integration on the high-quality development of population urbanization has a nonlinear increasing threshold effect. 5) Digital and real economies integration has a significant spatial spillover effect on population urbanization and can promote the high-quality development of population urbanization in adjacent areas. In conclusion, the positive effects of the digital and real economies integration should be fully leveraged, differentiated development strategies implemented, and a regional coordinated development pattern established to enhance the high-quality development level of population urbanization.
The State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Notice of the State Council on issuing the Five - Year Action Plan for Deeply Implementing the People - Centered New Urbanization Strategy [EB/OL]. [--]. in Chinese)
XiJ P. Hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strive in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects: Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China [EB/OL]. [--]. in Chinese)
[9]
浙江省发展和改革委员会. 一图读懂|数字长三角发展报告(2025)[EB/OL]. [--].
[10]
Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission. One picture to understand it all | digital Yangtze River Delta development report (2025)[EB/OL]. [--]. in Chinese)
GuoF Y, LiC G, ChenC, GanJ. Spatial-temporal coupling characteristics of population urbanization and land urbanization in Northeast China[J]. Economic Geography, 2015, 35(9): 49-56 (in Chinese)
TangY D, ZhuD L, ChengJ, SongY, LiY Y. Research on the coordination of population urbanization and land urbanization development from the perspective of human-land linking: A case study of the upper stream of the Yangtze River economic zone [J]. Resources and Environment in the Yangtze Basin, 2020, 29(2): 287-295 (in Chinese)
[17]
WangX F, ZhangX D. A regional comparative study on the mismatch between population urbanization and land urbanization in China[J]. Plos One, 2023, 18(6): e0287366
GuoS H, WangF X, GaoM. Spatial-temporal coupled coordination between population urbanization and land urbanization in Shandong Peninsula[J]. Economic Geography, 2014, 34(3): 72-78 (in Chinese)
DaiW M, HeJ M. Comprehensive evaluation on the quality of population urbanization and its policy implication: A case of Anhui Province[J]. Urban Development Studies, 2020, 27(5): 32-36 (in Chinese)
ZhengL, XuL, LiJ Y. Temporal and spatial characteristics and dynamic evolution of population urbanization in Yangtze River economic belt[J]. Statistics & Decision, 2021, 37(14): 70-74 (in Chinese)
ChenY, ChengY Q, WangP. Analysis of the spatio-temporal dynamics and influencing factors of registered population urbanization in Hainan Island[J]. World Regional Studies, 2023, 32(11): 108-118 (in Chinese)
ShangguanZ H. The impact and mechanism of urbanization on China’s GDP [J/OL]. Journal of South-Central Minzu University: Humanities and Social Sciences Edition, [--]. in Chinese)
ChangM, LiF, LiuJ. Effect of population urbanization on the income structure of farmers: An empirical analysis based on Chinese provincial panels[J]. Journal of China Agricultural University, 2024, 29(1): 228-239 (in Chinese)
ZhangY, CaoJ J, HanS D. Coupling and coordination between provincial digital economy and new urbanization and its influencing factors[J]. Statistics & Decision, 2024, 40(6): 116-120 (in Chinese)
LuoR, YouW, ZhouN X, LiZ J. Impact of digital economy on new-type urbanization in the Yangtze River Delta: Simultaneous discussion on the moderating effect of digital divide [J]. Geography and Geo-Information Science, 2024, 40(1): 114-124, 133 (in Chinese)
ChenY L. Theoretical exploration on the integration and development of digital economy and real economy[J]. Economic Research Journal, 2023, 58(9): 22-30 (in Chinese)
XuZ H, ZhangJ W, ChengY. Measurement, spatial-temporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of digital-real integration in Yellow River Basin cities [J]. Areal Research and Development, 2026, 45(2): 21-29, 40 (in Chinese)
LiY L, LiR T. Can the integration of digital and real economy promote the deep urbanization of rural migrant population[J]. Journal of Guangxi University: Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition, 2026, 48(2): 161-175 (in Chinese)
JiangL S, YaoC, WuY B. Digital ignition for urban-rural integration: dynamic mechanisms of digital-real convergence empowering development: A four⁃dimensional pathway analysis based on 280 prefecture⁃level cities in China [J]. Journal of Huazhong Agricultural University: Social Sciences Edition, 2026(1): 12-24 (in Chinese)
XieS, WeiD M, TangQ. The impact of Internet use on education-job matching: Empirical findings from the 2016-2020 CFPS [J]. Chinese Journal of Population Science, 2024, 38(4): 36-51 (in Chinese)
[48]
吴业苗. 人的城镇化的基本内涵与实现条件[J]. 城市问题, 2016(9): 4-10
[49]
WuY M. Connotation of people- centered urbanization and conditions for its realization[J]. Urban Problems, 2016(9): 4-10 (in Chinese)
ZhangW C, BaiF L. An analysis on the impact of digital infrastructure development on environmental pollution in China[J]. Journal of Technology Economics, 2023, 42(5): 137-148 (in Chinese)
YangS Y, WangH L, ChenJ X. The impact of the integration of the digital economy and the real economy on the synergy of urban pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction[J]. Research on Financial and Economic Issues, 2025(8): 87-99 (in Chinese)
ZhouC, ZhengX G, XuW L. County-level new urbanization and employment quality of rural migrants[J]. The Journal of World Economy, 2024, 47(4): 212-240 (in Chinese)
WangH M, WangB J. The impact of digital policies on urban green technology innovation: A double machine learning analysis based on the national big data comprehensive pilot zone[J]. Journal of Industrial Technological Economics, 2026, 45(3): 88-98 (in Chinese)
LiY H, WangH. Digital technology, environmental governance and firms’ compliance: A case of continuous emission monitoring system [J]. Journal of Eco-Civilization Studies, 2024(6): 41-51 (in Chinese)
DengS H, ChenJ Y, ZhangX R, LiuH G. The inner mechanism and empirical testing of digital economy driving urban-rural integration development: Evidence from 275 prefecture-level cities in China [J]. Journal of Agrotechnical Economics, 2024(12): 68-83 (in Chinese)
HanX F, SongW F, LiB X. Can the Internet become a new momentum to improve the efficiency of regional innovation in China[J]. China Industrial Economics, 2019(7): 119-136 (in Chinese)
XuY Z, LiY, LiuJ Y. Digital-real economy integration, industrial chain resilience and low-carbon transformation of manufacturing industry [J/OL]. R&D Management, [--]. in Chinese)
ZhangM L, ZhangF H, XuX G. The impact of digital countryside policy on rural residents’ income and urban-rural income gap: Evidence from counties in the Yellow River Basin [J]. Journal of Agrotechnical Economics, 2025(12): 59-77 (in Chinese)
LiJ, ZhangH, HanQ. The impact of the integration of digital economy and real economy on the green and low-carbon transformation of urban economy: Spatial effects and mechanism testing [J]. Reform of Economic System, 2025(4): 105-114 (in Chinese)
ZhangS, WuZ W, LuZ Y, ZhangN. Spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and driving factors of the integration between digital economy and real economy in China[J]. Economic Geography, 2022, 42(7): 22-32 (in Chinese)
LiuH J, SunD X, ShaoM J. The spatial gap and bi-dimensional decomposition of high-quality development of population urbanization in China [J]. Finance and Trade Research, 2024, 35(3): 17-28 (in Chinese)
ChuY N, YangJ P, HeQ S, TangF, JiQ. Research on the level and driving mechanism of population urbanization in Xinjiang[J]. Chinese Journal of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, 2025, 46(2): 245-258 (in Chinese)
ZhangS B, YangS C, MaoK J. Research on the effects and mechanisms of digital economy on urban-rural integration: An empirical examination based on 274 cities in China [J]. Inquiry into Economic Issues, 2024(10): 60-83 (in Chinese)
LiL, GuoD, QiaoL. How does the digital economy affect new urbanization: Mechanisms and tests[J]. Inquiry into Economic Issues, 2024(3): 17-36 (in Chinese)
CaiH Y, XuY Z. Does trade openness affect the upgrading of China’s industrial structure [J]. The Journal of Quantitative & Technological Economics, 2017, 34(10): 3-22 (in Chinese)
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have issued the Outline of the Integrated Regional Development of the Yangtze River Delta [EB/OL]. [--]. in Chinese)
[90]
中华人民共和国国家统计局. 中国统计年鉴[M]. 北京:中国统计出版社, 2013—2023
[91]
National Bureau of Statistics of China. China Statistical Yearbook[M]. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2013-2023 (in Chinese)
Urban Socioeconomic Survey Department of National Bureau of Statistics. China City Statistical Yearbook[M]. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2013-2023 (in Chinese)
Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China. China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook[M]. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2013-2023 (in Chinese)
GuoY Y, ZhengY, ChengD J, LiL W. Influence mechanism and effect of digital economy on urban industrial structure upgrading[J]. Statistics & Decision, 2024, 40(22): 29-34 (in Chinese)
HuangQ H, YuY Z, ZhangS L. Internet development and productivity growth in manufacturing industry: Internal mechanism and China experiences[J]. China Industrial Economics, 2019(8): 5-23 (in Chinese)
JiangJ, LiuJ J, XuT R. Has the digital-real integration promoted high-quality development of enterprises [J]. Macroeconomics, 2024(10): 72-89 (in Chinese)
MingC Q, PengH L. The high-quality development of digital and urban economies and spatial spillover effects: Based on the empirical research for 26 cities in the Yangtze River Delta [J]. East China Economic Management, 2024, 38(10): 25-35 (in Chinese)
PangR Z, GuoH F. Can digital economy overcome Baumol’s cost disease in service industry?: Empirical evidence from Chinese cities [J]. Research on Economics and Management, 2023, 44(10): 54-74 (in Chinese)