Research on the impact of digital inclusive finance on the performance of rural returnee entrepreneurs in China

Using data from the 2019 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), this paper explores the impact of digital inclusive finance on the entrepreneurial performance of returning rural migrants. The study first finds that digital inclusive finance can enhance the entrepreneurial performance of returning rural migrants. Second, it significantly improves entrepreneurial performance in three dimensions: the degree of digitization in inclusive finance, the depth of digital financial usage, and the breadth of digital financial coverage. Third, farmers' digital participation, digital usage, and the extent of digital usage are crucial pathways through which digital inclusive finance influences their entrepreneurial performance. Fourth, the impact of digital inclusive finance on entrepreneurial performance varies according to different types of migration, duration of migration, scale of entrepreneurship, educational attainment, and credit access channels. The findings of this study help validate the real effects of digital inclusive finance on entrepreneurial outcomes in rural populations.